Is Smoking Tobacco a Reason Behind Severe Muscle Loss?
Smoking not only increases the risk of pulmonary diseases.
It directly affects muscle strength.
Tobacco use is increasing in epidemic proportions across the world.
82% of adult smokers begin smoking before 25 years of age.
1/5 of the youth start regular smoking by the age of 15.
Delving deep, let’s understand how smoking/nicotine affects muscle strength.
Smoking increases muscle breakdown.
It reduces oxygen delivery to muscles.
The toxic components in tobacco stop muscle formation.
Inhibits protein synthesis –
It stops the synthesis of muscle proteins.
It increases the breakdown of the muscle.
It imbalances muscle formation and muscle degradation.
Impair nutrient synthesis
The rapid muscle breakdown leads to nutrient depletion.
It suppresses the body’s ability to repair muscles.
It reduces muscle strength.
Diminished oxygen supply
Smoke produces carbon monoxide.
It binds with hemoglobin.
It reduces the binding of oxygen.
The oxygen supply to the muscles/organs is diminished.
Vascular damage
Smoking causes vasoconstriction.
It stops the formation of new blood vessels.
It increases the risk of clot formation.
Thus interrupting the blood flow.
Hormonal imbalance
The nicotine present in smoke alters the endocrine hormones.
It increases cortisol levels, increasing muscle breakdown.
Suppressing testosterone reduces muscle build-up.
Systemic Inflammation-
Long-term smoking infiltrates the blood with cytokines.
It causes a constant state of low-grade systemic inflammation.
It drives muscle wasting.
Does nicotine improves athletics performance?
Nicotine is believed to boost short-term improvement.
However, the long-term side effects outweigh the short-term benefits.
- Nicotine increases the heart rate.
- Improves blood flow.
- It increases motor function.
The chronic use of nicotine has a severe downside.
It leads to dependency.
Athletes are unable to perform without nicotine.
It hijacks the endocrine and sympathetic nervous system.
It leads to a chronic semi-alert state.
It imbalances the transition from performance to recovery.
It impairs-
- sleep quality
- Inhibits muscle repair and formation
- Cognitive function
- Decreases strength and power
Just 14 days of quitting smoking significantly improves muscle endurance.
Over a year of smoking cessation, the body gains up to 17- 23% of muscle strength.
Tips to help muscle growth and strength-
- Resistance exercises
- Protein-rich diet
- Healthcare supplements
The widely used amino acid supplement used by athletes to improve muscle strength-
Hepakast – L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine (BCAA) sachets, manufactured by Aprazer Healthcare.
These are the branched chain amino-acids essential for muscle building.
- It enhances muscle repair and recovery.
- It reduces muscle breakdown.
- It supports muscle maintenance, providing additional energy.
- It reduces exhaustion during workouts.
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We manufacture a wide range of life–saving medicines and healthcare products.
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