Smoking and sport don’t mix or blend

It`s no secret to anyone that smoking is a common cause of various diseases and premature deaths, as a chronic and recurrent addictive disease, of which 80% of cases begin before the age of 18.

Tobacco as such is a plant. Its leaves are smoked, chewed, or vacuumed to experience a variety of effects. However, the chemical nicotine present in cigarettes, cigars, pipe, and chewing tobacco, as well as in electronic cigarettes, is an addictive substance but not only that. The cigar contains tar and carbon monoxide, along with almost 4,000 other ingredients, many of which are toxic and responsible for many types of cancer.

It is necessary to mention that the effects of tobacco consumption occur in the short term, however, some diseases may take longer to develop. We really need to understand that the idea that practicing some sport or physical activity to reduce the effects of smoking It is completely false. While it is true that athletes have a better ability to cleanse toxic substances, they are not immune to damage and are also affected by substances. As much as an athlete has the ability to cleanse or eliminate them, in the long term they will have the same health problems since the toxic substances they ingest through tobacco counteract any benefit obtained by exercise.

We must understand that carbon monoxide binds to the hemoglobin of the blood forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), which decreases the blood’s ability to transport oxygen to the muscles and other tissues of the body. This fact will cause the muscle to tire earlier and also lessen the capability to recover later.

In addition, smoking directly damages the lungs and especially the alveoli and if they stop working properly, the body is not able to get all the oxygen it needs, causing a feeling of suffocation in the most demanding exercises.

Illnesses related to tobacco use:

Cardiovascular problems

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD

Increased cancer risk

Serious problems and risks in pregnancy

Insomnia

Headache

Diabetes

Dysfunction

Increased cholesterol

Rheumatic diseases

Gastric ulcers

Now, we have already mentioned that smoking considerably increases the risk of developing lung cancer, but it is also a risk factor for developing cancers in: Mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, cervix, liver, bladder, pancreas, stomach, colon and even myeloid leukemia.

Perks of ceasing smoking

Improve breathing and you get less tired

Decreases the predisposition to cough and contract infections

Skin and face recover from premature aging

Recover your sense of taste and smell

Impaired lung function slows down

Reduces the rate of periinfarction and sudden death by 20-50 percent

Three years after quitting tobacco, the risk of heart attack or stroke is the same as for someone who has never smoked.

Sources:

https://www.infosalus.com/enfermedades/aparato-respiratorio/tabaquismo/que-es-tabaquismo-3.html

https://www.tuasaude.com/es/enfermedades-del-tabaquismo/

http://www.msal.gob.ar/tabaco/index.php/informacion-para-profesionales/tabaquismo-en-el-mundo-generalidades/ique-hay-en-un-cigarrillo