Smoking is a common habit that many people have but how does this affect a workout in the gym?

Studies have shown that there are over 4,000 harmful chemicals in a single cigarette with 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) toxins and 400 other chemicals such as carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine (insecticide/addictive drug), formaldehyde (embalming fluid), ammonia (toilet cleaner), hydrogen cyanide (gas chamber poison), and arsenic (rat poison).

So how does this affect your body?

Let’s start from the top of the body and work our way down, looking at the effects smoking has on it.

The head and mouth

When using a cigarette the first point of contact is your mouth and this is where you are at risk of getting cancer of the mouth. Cancer of the mouth in extreme cases is unsightly, painful and rots away your lips and cheeks. Smoking can also cause gum disease, bad breath and tooth decay from all the chemicals entering the mouth; a good way of preventing this is to use a medicated mouthwash which contains Chlorhexidine Digloconate or by using a smokers toothpaste.

The Lungs and Chest

The most obvious chemical in a cigarette is tar and one cigarette can contain 22mg of tar. Tar is a thick, sticky substance which settles on the inner lining of the lungs and is a major cause of lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis and also damages lung cells which prevent tumors from forming and can also damage the cilia in the lungs which protects the inner lining.

As tar is so thick and covers the inside of the lungs, this then affects how much oxygen can reach the blood stream and respiratory system. This has an adverse effect on the length of time a person can do a cardio fitness session in the gym because they will find it a struggle to exercise for a prolonged amount of time compared to that of a non-smoker. Many people who have quit smoking have said they can walk, jog or run for a longer time than they did when smoking.

Another chemical which damages the bronchi (breathing tubes) is hydrogen cyanide. As this chemical passes through the bronchi it inflames the lining and causes the chronic smoker’s cough, because the bronchi become weakened this then makes you more susceptible to chest and bronchial infections. Smokers are also 10 times more likely to suffer from lung cancer than a non-smoker.

The Heart

Carbon monoxide is a chemical often found in car exhaust fumes, but when excreted from a cigarette it can have a negative effect on the heart because it steals the oxygen from the bloodstream which then causes cholesterol to build up in the arteries leading to heart attacks and high blood pressure. This then leads to a higher risk of stroke and loss of circulation in the fingers and toes due to the lack of oxygen carrying the blood around the body. On top of this, Nicotine raises the blood pressure and increases the chance of clotting in the blood.

The Organs

Because smoking lowers the appetite, the digestive system is also affected. This leads to heartburn and ulcers because of the increased levels of acid creation in the stomach. Because a lot of the chemicals from the cigarette is passed through the digestive system they are filtered through the urine and can cause bladder cancer which can cause death.

Keep an eye out for our follow up article to this one ‘Quitting Smoking’.