Smoking affects muscle mass gain
Of all the destructive habits someone can have, smoking is considered the worst, especially for those looking to gain muscle mass.
This is because practically every organ in the body is affected by the action of the toxic compounds in cigarettes, and this will inevitably influence your results.
Learn how smoking affects muscle gain and why you should use this as an incentive to quit smoking.
How does smoking affect muscle mass gain?
If you're aiming for a noticeable change in your body composition, especially gaining muscle mass, it's best to get used to the idea of quitting smoking as soon as possible.
Smoking can be more harmful than using other drugs like alcohol when it comes to affecting muscle mass gain.
Find out why.
1 – Smoking causes irreversible damage to the respiratory systemDamage to the respiratory system is directly linked to performance in the gym, whether weightlifting or aerobics.
The damage caused by cigarettes prevents the body from absorbing oxygen into the blood, affecting muscle oxygenation. This means you won't be able to train with the same intensity as someone who doesn't smoke.
The problem is made worse because the drop in performance is not immediately noticeable.
For example: if you are still young and smoke, it is very likely that you will not even feel any change happening, but it is happening.
2 – A smoker’s heartbeat is 30% faster than a non-smoker’s.This forces a smoker's body to expend more energy than usual.
This acceleration in the heartbeat is due to the stimulating effect of nicotine, the result of which is a change in blood pressure that paradoxically decreases the flow of blood in the blood vessels, which consequently decreases physical performance.
3 – Smokers produce twice as much phlegmAltered phlegm production can subtly disrupt breathing, which can decrease your performance without you noticing.
This habit, over time, can cause chronic swelling in the mucus glands, which can worsen the problem.
4 – Smoking significantly reduces the oxygen available to your musclesThe carbon monoxide present in cigarettes has a greater affinity for hemoglobin (a molecule that carries oxygen in the blood) than oxygen itself.
Smoking encourages the body to exchange oxygen for carbon monoxide, making less oxygen available to the muscles, which will consequently also affect your training performance.
ConclusionSmoking is a clearly destructive habit.
It's hard to understand why someone starts smoking, knowing all its harmful effects (without bringing any benefits), especially for those who train with weights and care about the quality of their body.
We know it's not easy to quit smoking, but having the goal of building muscle mass and always trying to push your body beyond its limits is the perfect inspiration to kick this destructive habit for good.
Think about it!