Why Can Some Smokers Run So Fast?

If you are an elite runner or simply an amateur enthusiast who also suffers from a nicotine addiction, you may be searching for a solution which will allow you to continue with your training without having to go cold turkey. You may also have noticed that, despite the obvious evils of smoking, some runners manage to light up without their performance suffering. Is it possible that some smokers can also perform well on the track or trail, and why?

It is generally accepted wisdom that smoking will impair your performance in any type of physical activity, and particularly intensive cardio such as running. One study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, claimed to show a link between smoking and improved performance in runners, or more specifically in endurance training for runners. The researches argued that smoking could be beneficial for endurance and distance runners for a few reasons, such as increased serum haemoglobin levels in smokers (which are linked to better endurance running performance) and increased lung volume.

However, this study is an outlier to other medical and scientific views which comprehensively agree that smoking greatly harms many processes essential to performance in any kind of exercise, particular cardiovascular exercise. In fact, the author of the article revealed that the objective of the study was actually to demonstrate how selective arguments can be used to construct a convincing argument for anything, even a false idea.

For example, one of the pieces of evidence used demonstrate the link between smoking and better endurance performance for runners was that lighter distance runners will generally perform better, and that smokers will often experience reduced body weight. Although this link is on the surface logical, it also ignores the fact that when smokers lose weight it is generally because they are suffering from health conditions, including chronic health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clearly, any benefits to runners from reduced body weight would be totally outweighed by other affects from the disease.

The evidence around switching to smoking e-cigarettes is much more conclusive and more well-accepted. When looking at this issue, it’s important to make the distinction between those smoking tobacco and those vaping e-cigarettes. There is a huge difference in the content of each of these, which translates to a difference in the effects on health and fitness.

Tobacco-based cigarettes contain a range of chemicals – over 4000 in fact – many toxic and carcinogenic. A regular cigarette contains acetone, benzene, cyanide and lead, among other harmful elements. It is not surprising, then, that smoking has been linked to serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and at least 15 different types of cancer. Smoking cigarettes attack the body on a cellular level: it damages the nodes which control taste and smell, dulling these senses, as well as damaging the skin, giving it a sallow appearance. Likewise, smoking attacks the cells in the lungs at the same time as coating the inside of the lungs with tar. This is why smokers are frequently coughing, wheezing and experiencing shortness of breath, all of which has obvious implications for the ability to run fast or over distances.

Vaping, on the other hand, involves inhaling what is essentially water vapour. E-cigarettes contain nicotine which is delivered via a solution of either propylene glycol or glycerine and water, both inert and harmless compounds. With so many options these days, such as vape mods and DIY e liquid options, more and more people are starting to vape rather than smoke cigarettes.

Those who do switch to vaping find immediate benefits to their health. Being able to still get their nicotine hit without the harmful chemicals found in toxic cigarette smoke means the body will not only cease to receive this kind of damage, but will actually begin to repair itself. Immediately after quitting smoking cigarettes, the body’s immune system begins to recover. Within 2 weeks, blood circulation is improved, and oxygen levels in the blood start to return to normal. Studies have also shown that within this first 2 weeks of quitting smoking, lung function will improve up to 30%.

Better lung function, better circulation and higher oxygen levels in the blood all mean better performance when running, and this is the difference between smokers of cigarettes, and those vaping e-cigarettes. A report from the UK government agency Public Health England declared that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco products. This was followed by research, such as a 2017 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, showing that participants who switched to vaping rather than smoking cigarettes displayed much lower level of toxic chemicals and carcinogens in their body.

Cigarette smoke contains an astonishingly large number of harmful chemicals which essentially poison the body, leading to many devastating health effects in both the short and the long term. This greatly hinders runners’ performance through reduced capacity in many areas. Vaping e-cigarettes is one way to avoid these chemicals and their associated effects, as the nicotine vapour in these devices is produced from e-liquid which is a harmless composition.