To All The Smokers On This Board !!!

[G unit soldier]

If you think smoking wont affect your gains then read this. Oh and by the way, smoking does stunt your height growth and causes your lungs to prematurely shrink if u smoke as a teenager. Many of my friends who started smoking when they were 12 who used to be taller than me are now inches shorter than me at age 14. Suckers !!!


Kicking butts: forget for a moment all that stuff about cancer—that's tomorrow. Smoking can screw up your workout today!

Smokers live up to 10 years less than nonsmokers and are more susceptible to emphysema, bronchitis, strokes, heart disease and multiple cancers. But that's then and this is now, and, goes the flawed thinking, why worry about the future when you're young and fit?

Because tobacco may be cheating you out of the muscle gains you rightfully deserve.

"The immediate effect smoking can have on your exercise efforts can be just as disastrous as its future consequences for your health," says Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., a clinical professor of medical psychology at Duke University and co-author of Pumped: Straight Facts for Athletes About Drugs, Supplements and Training.

You don't have to be a die-hard smoker to limit your athletic potential. If you puff occasionally, use chewing tobacco, live in an urban environment, or find yourself the victim of secondhand smoke from time to time, you're still susceptible to the following hazards related to nicotine and cigarette smoke:

* Less muscle gain

Inhaling carbon monoxide, either from pollution or cigarettes, deprives every muscle in your body of energy-rich oxygen. The less oxygen your muscles have to draw from, the less effective they are at contracting, which can inhibit how much weight they can lift.

"By [making you unable] to push a muscle through its full anaerobic threshold, smoking essentially forces you to use less weight than your muscles can truly handle," says Swartzwelder. "If you're working with muscles that are working inefficiently, you'll have a harder time breaking them down enough to stimulate the most muscle growth."

* Slower muscle gain

Smoking often delays the healing of fractures, cuts and wounds--and therefore impacts the fundamental mechanics of resistance training.

"When you lift weights to build muscle, you're creating microscopic tears throughout the tissue that need time to repair," says Ed Morand, master trainer for New York Sports Clubs/Town Sports International. "It typically takes your muscles between 48 and 72 hours to heal properly."

Proper rest lets your muscles adapt so they're stronger for your next workout, but smoking can interfere with the recovery stage, causing muscles to take even longer to repair themselves and thus slowing down your gains.

* Impaired strength

The muscles you're proud to flex are only as powerful as the bones tucked beneath them. Osteoporosis may sound like the last thing any youngish male needs to worry about, but, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, all regular smokers experience a decrease in bone mineral.

For serious exercisers, weaker bones may not be able to handle all the stress that weightlifting incurs. This "increases your odds of being susceptible to a fracture," says Swartzwelder, which could translate into spending more time at home sidelined by an injury and less time getting the job done.

* Hindered performance

Nicotine decreases blood flow to all the tissues in the body. Because of this, tobacco users have a higher incidence of nerve problems, which can severely affect athletes who need to be fast and responsive. Although it may help you concentrate, nicotine--just like carbon monoxide-inhibits how quickly a muscle can contract.

That goes for chewers as well as smokers. "There's a whole subculture of athletes who use smokeless tobacco because they think it enhances their reaction times," says Swartzwelder. "But slower contractions mean a slower response from your muscles to move your body wherever it needs to be on the playing field."

* Nutritional ruin

If you think your carefully designed nutrition plan can stand up to the Marlboro man, think again. "Tobacco increases the volume of free radicals in the bloodstream," says Keith Ayoob, R.D., director of nutrition at the Rose F. Kennedy Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. "These electron-deficient molecules wander throughout your system looking to steal electrons from whatever they come in contact with." The extra proteins, amino acids and carbohydrates you've been eating to build yourself up get broken down and left essentially useless by these scavengers.

Tobacco also puts a crimp in your campaign against blood fats. "Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke increases the amount of cholesterol that finds its way into your arteries, causing the same risks of stiffness and rupture of the arterial walls that a high-cholesterol diet can," says Ayoob.

* Less action

Perhaps it was the broad delts and tight glutes that made her overlook your foul breath, yellowed fingers, and the fact that you had to take her to Burger King because you spend up to $2,550 a year for your daily pack of Camels.

But no amount of muscle you've built will impress her if your love muscle can't perform.

"Studies have shown that smoking just a few cigarettes can affect how much blood flows through the penile arteries," says Swartzwelder. Indeed, male smokers are roughly twice as likely as nonsmokers to suffer from impotence. If you've got fatherhood on the agenda, tobacco also reduces the chances of your sperm successfully reaching their objective.

* Reduced calorie burn

There's no denying that nicotine helps eliminate fat by revving up your metabolism, which is precisely why some limited thinkers still sneak cigarettes to shave off extra calories. But smoking also decreases the capacity of your lungs by restricting how deep they can expand. "Breathing less air reduces the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream that your body relies on to fuel aerobic activity," says Morand. Without oxygen, your workouts will be cut short, causing you to burn less calories in the long run.

Smokeless tobacco can also hinder your fat-burning potential. "If you have a steady level of nicotine in your system, you immediately compromise your cardiac function during aerobic exercise by artificially raising your blood pressure and your heart rate," explains Swartzwelder. "This can cause a loss of between 10 percent and 20 percent of any aerobic benefits you may have otherwise received from that activity."

STAY FIT WHEN YOU QUIT

Breaking up is hard to do, especially with a chemical habit you've probably had since high school. But dealing with the weight gain, depression, mental distraction and stress doesn't have to be a total drag.

* Weight gain

Smokers typically add pounds after they quit. Restarting a metabolism no longer charged by nicotine means watching what calories you take in and using low-fat snacks (celery, raisins, gum, etc.) to keep your hands and mouth occupied.

"Breaking your daily meals into six or seven small ones instead of the typical three can prevent the ex-smoker from bingeing," says Ayoob. "Spreading out your meals also keeps your insulin levels even throughout the day, which prevents body-fat storage."

* Stress and insomnia

Nicotine stimulates the brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers the brain to feel pleasure and a state of well-being. "You can achieve that same chemical release by hitting the gym regularly," says Morand. Physical activity also facilitates the release of another neurotransmitter, called serotonin, which helps improve sleep and decreases the desire for fatty foods. Getting in a minimum 30-minute workout three or four times a week can keep your dopamine levels high enough to keep you relaxed, while all the extra activity will make you more likely to be sleepy at the end of the day.

* Lack of concentration

Breakfast is the best way to beat those post-puffing muddles. "Men, especially those that smoke, are notorious for skipping breakfast, since they tend to rely on nicotine for morning alertness," says Ayoob. "Once they quit, they still tend to dodge eating early in the day, which only makes things worse." Missing this important meal drops your blood sugar later in the day, leaving you feeling sluggish. Instead, eat a breakfast that's an even mix of complex carbohydrates and protein, which will provide sustained levels of energy.

"Carbohydrates are absorbed into the system much faster than protein," says Ayoob. "Eating both together can increase your alertness by burning calories at different times for a constant stream of energy."

HOW TO QUIT FOUR TIMES FASTER

No one said kicking an addiction was going to be easy, but being careful can reduce your chances of a relapse. While some people can dump their butts cold turkey, others rely on nicotine substitutes, hypnosis or acupuncture. The only "right" ways are the ones that work. Recent studies show that the more methods you use, the better your chances are of staying on the wagon.

THE OPTION: Nicotine substitutes

These alternatives deliver nicotine in doses that are gradually lowered over a course of several weeks until you're eventually weaned away from the drug. The four types approved by the Food and Drug Administration include over-the-counter nicotine gum and prescription-only sprays, inhalers and patches.

[Jclark1675]

im 14 i smoked a pack or 2 a month last year and did sum other stuff bad to my health i quit all of that in januarry and rlly started to get back in good shape. i am in just as good as shape as almost any 1 else in my school in my grade and i work out a lot could that smoking still have any negative effect on me now even though its been almost a year since iv smoked anything at all

[G unit soldier]

Originally Posted by Jclark1675

im 14 i smoked a pack or 2 a month last year and did sum other stuff bad to my health i quit all of that in januarry and rlly started to get back in good shape. i am in just as good as shape as almost any 1 else in my school in my grade and i work out a lot could that smoking still have any negative effect on me now even though its been almost a year since iv smoked anything at all

well im no expert but yeh i guess it is a strong possibilty that it stunted / slowed down your height growth. but then agen ppl grow in spurts so i dont know. as long as ur off it now i guess it kool

i never smoked or anything so i wudnt kno .... i was busy boxing training, need my speed for that lol

[ajn]

Jclark, don't listen to G-unit. Your lungs are probably pretty black, but a pack or 2 a month didn't put you that far behind the rest, and you still should grow to a decent height. If you NEVER pick up a cigarette again, you still have a chance to get your system back on par, you just have to work harder.

[utax]

What if I smoke a cigar or two per week?!

[Ba-60]

Stop Fuking Smoking Plain And Simple. Its Such A Bad Habit!

[replay]

Originally Posted by Ba-60

Stop Fuking Smoking Plain And Simple. Its Such A Bad Habit!

Nailed it

[soufi]

think about it like this, you are basically strangling your internal organs so theyt can't properly function right(this includes digesting nutrients and building muscle). not to mention you ****ing stink and waste **** loads of money on what could be much better spent(food, money, fun).

[Crook]

Smoking is bad, yeah, but you guys could present your points better than....

"think about it like this, you are basically strangling your internal organs so theyt can't properly function right(this includes digesting nutrients and building muscle). not to mention you ****ing stink and waste **** loads of money on what could be much better spent(food, money, fun)."


Just some advice, no harm meant, but rational sentances are easier on the eyes.

[Ba-60]

Originally Posted by Crook

Smoking is bad, yeah, but you guys could present your points better than....

"think about it like this, you are basically strangling your internal organs so theyt can't properly function right(this includes digesting nutrients and building muscle). not to mention you ****ing stink and waste **** loads of money on what could be much better spent(food, money, fun)."


Just some advice, no harm meant, but rational sentances are easier on the eyes.

Are you a liberal?

[Blowsox13]

Originally Posted by Crook

Smoking is bad, yeah, but you guys could present your points better than....

"think about it like this, you are basically strangling your internal organs so theyt can't properly function right(this includes digesting nutrients and building muscle). not to mention you ****ing stink and waste **** loads of money on what could be much better spent(food, money, fun)."


Just some advice, no harm meant, but rational sentances are easier on the eyes.

I will be sure to type my sentances like yours from now on. tool

[hohoho]

markus ruhls pretty huge and he smokes ;P

[kevinatah]

yep, no reason to smoke

I will never try smoking myself, I am always chewing on **** and I have an addictive personality.

[Crook]

Originally Posted by Blowsox13

I will be sure to type my sentances like yours from now on. tool

I'm just saying an argument could be presented in a way that is concordant with the absence of redundancy.

Oh crap, I am a tool... crap..

[BigNorwegian]

Originally Posted by utax

What if I smoke a cigar or two per week?!

You don't inhale.

[Sanj-]

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...18/ai_93009064


dont copy and paste !

[Blowsox13]

Originally Posted by Crook

I'm just saying an argument could be presented in a way that is concordant with the absence of redundancy.

Oh crap, I am a tool... crap..

The point was the word is sentence. TOOL

[kittednova]

put it this way,ive started and qu8it smoking twice. The 2 times i quit people told me id gone alot bigger really quick,because i eat so much more when i dont smoke!so in a way yes it does afffect gians,i never gained a POUND while i smoked

[G unit soldier]

Originally Posted by Sanj-

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...18/ai_93009064


dont copy and paste !

Ofcourse i copy and pasted it !! - u think i actually wrote all of that .... honestly

[utax]

Originally Posted by G unit soldier

Ofcourse i copy and pasted it !! - u think i actually wrote all of that .... honestly

Then you should had write the link of the source. Otherwise it's illegall...

"COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group"

Copyright actually means something...

[dollee]

Actually he really has no obligation to post the source of what he copied and pasted, especially on the internet, as long as he's not making any profit from it. I personally would have given credit to the author anyway, but it's his choice, especially on an internet forum, there's pretty much nothing illegal you can do on this forum. I could post a direct quote from martin luther king and say I made it up thismorning, and nobody could do anything about it.

[G unit soldier]

Originally Posted by dollee

Actually he really has no obligation to post the source of what he copied and pasted, especially on the internet, as long as he's not making any profit from it. I personally would have given credit to the author anyway, but it's his choice, especially on an internet forum, there's pretty much nothing illegal you can do on this forum. I could post a direct quote from martin luther king and say I made it up thismorning, and nobody could do anything about it.

^^ Yea wat that guy says

[DanGK]

I have been a smoker for 6 years (Since I was 12)

I quit exacly 1 month ago. All I can say is give advice to the smokers, go to your local Book store and look for this book "Allen Carr - Easy way to quit smoking" Its not bull****, it works. It worked for me and millions other people. This method doesnt require to stress yourself or anything. I have dropped a pack a day overnight and never had ANY withdrawl effects. Why? Because you get CONVINCED that quitting smoking is hard while its REALLY easy and it takes your body several hours to get used to no nicotine. Believe what you want but it helped me and plenty of other people.

I readthe book at night, woke up next morning, never touched a cigarette again and had no withdrawl symptoms. Good Luck

[dollee]

and always remember... "smokers are jokers"

hahaha, just kidding.

[GregC525]

Originally Posted by dollee

Actually he really has no obligation to post the source of what he copied and pasted, especially on the internet, as long as he's not making any profit from it. I personally would have given credit to the author anyway, but it's his choice, especially on an internet forum, there's pretty much nothing illegal you can do on this forum. I could post a direct quote from martin luther king and say I made it up thismorning, and nobody could do anything about it.

So in other words, if I write an essay for a class I don't need to list my sources? Because I technically won't be making a profit on it.

You always have to post the source.