Oxygen is crucial to your energy production.
- Carbon monoxide from smoking reduces the amount of oxygen available in the body.
- Smoking restricts blood vessels and narrows airways preventing proper distribution of oxygen rich blood.
This combination leads to breathlessness and muscle fatigue.
For regular smokers even greater problems occur:
- Smoking reduces levels of performance and endurance. Fewer benefits can be obtained from training.
- Smoking increases fatigue during and after exercise. You think you have worked a lot harder than you actually have.
- Smoking increases the heart rate for any given level of exercise. Lack of oxygen forces the heart to work much harder. Nicotine works as a stimulant further raising the heart rate and blood pressure in a negative way.
- Tar in tobacco coats the lungs and reduces their efficiency. Smoking cause the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries.
- Smokers have less muscular strength and tone. The reduced supply of oxygen – rich blood causes atrophy of muscle fibres.
- Smokers are more likely to suffer an exercise related injury (eg sprains and fractures) and heal more slowly.
- As a smoker fat is distributed in a pattern that has adverse health implications.
Exercise DOES NOT offset the effects of smoking!
If you would like help to stop smoking call Derbyshire County Stop Smoking Service on 0800 0852299 or Fresh Start on 01332 224019 |