Does Smoking Hurt Muscle Growth

[KingOfTheCage]

quick question for everyone does smoking hurt muscle growth i mean with every other bad thing it does to you is this another reason for me to quit i appreciate everything.


Kev

[bxbombers]

i know of a few pros that smoke. but the big disadvantage of any stimulant is it takes away your appetite. which is not good for a bodybuilder. look at most people who smoke there all skinny as hell. if you tried to quite your appetite would go way up and youll pack on tons of weight.

[1quick1]

I don't think it will make that much of a difference but it will lower your appetite and the nicotine could cause you to need to take a few hundred more calories in a day.

[Nedo]

After I quit I gained weight even while I was cutting. This first couple weeks you will gain weight, and crave sugar bad. It helps your endurance big time, and you just feel alot better.

[jynxlynx]

Here's my opinion on smoking and muscle growth. Muscles require nutrients and oxygen to repair, grow, and function. Muscles get these nutrients and oxygen from capillaries.

When you smoke, as I understand, blood vessels constrict. Consctricting blood vessels don't deliver as much nutrients and oxygen, thus inhibiting growth and rebuilding of muscle tissue.

I think smoking might be a contributing factor.

[WindSurf3r]

Here's my opinion on smoking and muscle growth. Muscles require nutrients and oxygen to repair, grow, and function. Muscles get these nutrients and oxygen from capillaries.

When you smoke, as I understand, blood vessels constrict. Consctricting blood vessels don't deliver as much nutrients and oxygen, thus inhibiting growth and rebuilding of muscle tissue.

I think smoking might be a contributing factor.

good post.. if you ever notice a smoker gasping for air after excersizing know you why, plus its not good for your heart and your more vulnerable to cancer when you get older.

[Mango]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, smokers=disgusting smell!! Why don't you stop wearing antiperspirent for that matter!!

Not just that, but bodybuilding, muscle growth, etc.,=healthy things; why would anybody add a disgusting, expensive, toxic, deadly substance to that?!

[KingOfTheCage]

yes i know the smell is aweful i am already 215lbs and fairly lean 10 % bf not looking to cut as i am a pride fighter just lookin for that edge and you guys are (and women) great thanks for All the help!

Kevin

[lifterohio]

does smoking hurt muscle growth
Kev

YES

Stress hormones and muscles do not get along very well, nicotine elicits stress hormones.

[SteNicholls]

quick question for everyone does smoking hurt muscle growth i mean with every other bad thing it does to you is this another reason for me to quit i appreciate everything.


Kev

Kev, If you smoke a hell of a lot ..Chemicals in Smokes with reduce muscle Growth
a few cigs a day wont be that bad any doctor will tell you that smoke is not good for the muscles and also you do not get the same kind of appetite as you should.

[lancs_hotpot]

Id say if you smoke then limit it to one or two on weekdays. Dont smoke before you train and dont smoke if it will interfere with your meals. I usually have a cig after the second meal after i train and before i go to bed.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, smokers=disgusting smell!! Why don't you stop wearing antiperspirent for that matter!!

Not just that, but bodybuilding, muscle growth, etc.,=healthy things; why would anybody add a disgusting, expensive, toxic, deadly substance to that?!

lol.

People smoke either because they're addicted, they enjoy it or both. No its not good for us but neither is taking drugs and getting hammered at the weekend either, but most of us do it.

Oh and by the way nice sig. Great line to live by Paris Hilton is a fantastic role model.

[JustNavid]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, smokers=disgusting smell!! Why don't you stop wearing antiperspirent for that matter!!

Not just that, but bodybuilding, muscle growth, etc.,=healthy things; why would anybody add a disgusting, expensive, toxic, deadly substance to that?!

Tell this to the guy who stands out side my gym every day finishing his cig before walkin in !!

[JKnockawitz]

I'm curious about this subject as well. I'm a smoker who plan's on quitting because I'm young and I'm starting to live a real healthy lifestyle, but cigarettes are my big downfall. Everyone says smoking makes you have less of an appetite, but I have a perfectly normal appetite, an even bigger than usual appetite. I'm currently bulking on alot of calories and rarely ever feel full. So I don't think that part affects me. But as far as the weight gain goes when you quit, If I'm working out regularly and eating a good clean diet, could I use the weight gain thing to my advantage to pack on some muscle real quick, or does it not work like that? Because I don't want to gain a bunch of fat on top of the fat that I'm gonna gain from bulking up ya know? Or do you only gain fat after quitting smoking if you start eating everything in sight?

[ianianian]

whats with all the old bumps?

Here's my opinion on smoking and muscle growth. Muscles require nutrients and oxygen to repair, grow, and function. Muscles get these nutrients and oxygen from capillaries.

When you smoke, as I understand, blood vessels constrict. Consctricting blood vessels don't deliver as much nutrients and oxygen, thus inhibiting growth and rebuilding of muscle tissue.

I think smoking might be a contributing factor.

i think this is a good post, i'd rep him but he hasnt been on since 06

[bseidl]

Tell this to the guy who stands out side my gym every day finishing his cig before walkin in !!

haha that's messed up!

[krotchrocketz]

Smoking decreases (among other things) Zinc levels.

Zinc levels affect testosterone levels:

Zinc deficiency is prevalent throughout the world, including the USA. Severe and moderate deficiency of zinc is associated with hypogonadism in men. However, the effect of marginal zinc deficiency on serum testosterone concentration is not known. We studied the relationship between cellular zinc concentrations and serum testosterone cross-sectionally in 40 normal men, 20 to 80 y of age. In four normal young men (27.5 +/- 0.5 y), we measured serum testosterone before and during marginal zinc deficiency induced by restricting dietary zinc intake. We also measured serum testosterone in nine elderly men (64 +/- 9 y) who were marginally zinc deficient before and after 3 to 6 mo of supplementation with 459 mumol/ d oral zinc administered as zinc gluconate. Serum testosterone concentrations were significantly correlated with cellular zinc concentrations in the cross-sectional study (lymphocyte zinc versus serum testosterone, r = 0.43, p = 0.006; granulocyte zinc versus serum testosterone, r = 0.30, p = 0.03). Dietary zinc restriction in normal young men was associated with a significant decrease in serum testosterone concentrations after 20 weeks of zinc restriction (baseline versus post-zinc restriction mean +/- SD, 39.9 +/- 7.1 versus 10.6 +/- 3.6 nmol/L, respectively; p = 0.005). Zinc supplementation of marginally zinc-deficient normal elderly men for six months resulted in an increase in serum testosterone from 8.3 +/- 6.3 to 16.0 +/- 4.4 nmol/L (p = 0.02). We conclude that zinc may play an important role in modulating serum testosterone levels in normal men.

So my answer to the question would be, "Indirectly, yes."

I'm guessing it would depend on your diet and supplementation. I don't think smoking alone is enough to cause a Zinc deficiency, but I may be wrong. I'm a (heavy) smoker. I supplement with a multivitamin, additional Zinc and eat plenty of Zinc-rich foods and have not noticed any issues gaining or maintaining muscle.

My cardiovascular endurance is shot to hell, but that's a separate issue. Heh.

[87CamaroGuy]

Here's my opinion on smoking and muscle growth. Muscles require nutrients and oxygen to repair, grow, and function. Muscles get these nutrients and oxygen from capillaries.

When you smoke, as I understand, blood vessels constrict. Consctricting blood vessels don't deliver as much nutrients and oxygen, thus inhibiting growth and rebuilding of muscle tissue.

I think smoking might be a contributing factor.

This is very important. Most toxins the body takes in either builds up in fat cells or in the capillaries, making smoking bad for both gaining and cutting. Alot of smokers are skinny though due to the fact that their body has to work much harder just to support regular daily functions such as breathing and heart function. If you do smoke one of the best things you can do to reverse these effects is to do a Niacin flush every now and then. Niacin is simply vitamin B3, but it has the capability of dialating smaller capillaries deeper where you can't see them, making blood flow much easier and your body will release histamines and flush alot of these toxins out. Just be sure to drink alot of water and make sure you have nowhere you need to be as it is extremely uncomfortable. Niacin is very cheap, 180 capsules of 500mg is like four bucks. I did this once a day for about a week after I quit and noticed a good half inch increase in my arms in a month!!!

Simply put, yes smoking does affect gains, but you can overcome this, best to quit though.

[doctapeppadoc]

which particular chemicals in smoke are the ones that reduce muscle growth anyway?

[Kamaehu]

Smoking in general is bad (mmmkay :P). Hemoglobin is the oxygen transporter in your blood. When you smoke, hemoglobin has less room to transport oxygen to your cells because carbon monoxide is more likely to attach than oxygen. Less oxygen transported to cells, equals slower metabolism, and less muscle growth.

[87CamaroGuy]

which particular chemicals in smoke are the ones that reduce muscle growth anyway?

Just about all of them. Think about it, niccotine is a stimulant. So if you smoke a pack a day, then you're always taking in stimmulants, which means you will have a higher tolerance for the stimmulants in your pre-w/o supps if you take any. So you're spending more money on cigs, and supps, and because you're spending this money, you're supps aren't being used at their max potential. Also you're body needs oxygen to recover, and the way it gets that is through anything you breath in. So if you're breating in toxins, then toxins are what are getting to your muscles instead of oxygen, severely limiting recovery. On top of this the toxins from the smoke don't just build up in your lungs, they build up in cappilaries, which carry nutrients to and from the muscles, making it harder for the muscles to recieve anything during recovery, be it protein or creatin or w/e you take or eat to help you grow. Your cappilaries also affect your metabolism. Think of the path of least resistance here, it applies to everything, your fat cells releace energy in the form of free fatty acids, or FFAs, all this is also done through cappilaries, and if their clogged with toxins, your body needs another source of energy just to force the FFAs out of the fat cell, so it turns to carbs or worse, protein (muscle). Once this starts your body becomes catabolic, AND because of the stress this is all putting on your body, it will probably stimulate the release of cortisol, which you may already know, is EXTREMELY catabolic. I hope this helps, good luck with your BB goals!!!

[smbrown3706]

Moderation anyone? I'll admit to pokng smot about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, I just make sure 1. Schoolwork's done, 2. Working out hard (including cardio!), 3. close proximity to dining commons and peanut butter for some good bulking munchies

[AdamWW]

After I quit I gained weight even while I was cutting. This first couple weeks you will gain weight, and crave sugar bad. It helps your endurance big time, and you just feel alot better.

Not true for everyone. I smoked for two years (quit 5 years ago) and I didn't gain an once. It was only hard for the first 3 days then I didn't even think about them. I'll never go back.

[mynameisuntz]

quick question for everyone does smoking hurt muscle growth i mean with every other bad thing it does to you is this another reason for me to quit i appreciate everything.


Kev

If the threat of death by cancer isn't enough reason to quit, why would inhibited muscle growth motivate you to quit? I mean, I don't mean to be a jerk, but I feel like there's really no logic there.

[AdamWW]

Moderation anyone? I'll admit to pokng smot about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, I just make sure 1. Schoolwork's done, 2. Working out hard (including cardio!), 3. close proximity to dining commons and peanut butter for some good bulking munchies

That isn't true, either. Just because something goes into your lungs does NOT mean it goes into your muscle. Some tissues in the body will not absorb EVERYTHING you eat. Some cells have no need for certain substances. I think the main thing to take home is that if you smoke you'll:

1. Reduce your lung's ability to absorb oxygen which, in turn, with limit your ability to get OXYGEN to your muscles (not toxins), and you won't be able to work out as hard.

2. You're effectively killing your vital organs (lungs, heart, throat, etc) with every cigarette you smoke.

3. You'll smell like crap and people like me with have to plug their noses when they walk by you. Also, I'm actually allergic to the smoke now and it makes it hard for me to breathe when I smell it.

4. You're wasting potentially thousands of dollars a year on something that has no benefit whatsoever.

...I personally find it amazing how lax the regulations are on smoking. I see mothers walking their baby's down the street smoking and exposing their kids to all the chemicals and I just want to slap them in the face.

Anyway, if you want to perform your best you won't smoke, it'll never do anything FOR you, it'll only hurt you.

[mynameisuntz]

Anyway, if you want to perform your best you won't smoke, it'll never do anything FOR you, it'll only hurt you.

Actually it might be a neuroprotectant against Parkinson's

Just saying, haha. But, like you, I see no stock in smoking. I wouldn't care if the government made cigarettes $50 per pack tomorrow and banned it in every public place. Not. One. Bit.

[AdamWW]

Actually it might be a neuroprotectant against Parkinson's

Just saying, haha. But, like you, I see no stock in smoking. I wouldn't care if the government made cigarettes $50 per pack tomorrow and banned it in every public place. Not. One. Bit.

After all, i can't walk around swigging jack daniels and spitting it down other people's throats... hell, I can't walk around doing that even if i keep it to myself, and at least that would only hurt me. If people want to smoke in private then fine, but so much of the time i'm walking down the street behind someone and it's nothing but smoke in my face for 5 minutes... it makes no sense.

[retiredrunner]

Ban combustion engines too...

so if nicotine's a stimulant and constricts blood vessels and inhibits muscle growth, isn't caffeine and whatever else they put in preworkout drinks doing the same thing? lol

[Bkcmart]

Not true for everyone. I smoked for two years (quit 5 years ago) and I didn't gain an once. It was only hard for the first 3 days then I didn't even think about them. I'll never go back.

2 years? Lawl, nice try.

3. You'll smell like crap and people like me with have to plug their noses when they walk by you. Also, I'm actually allergic to the smoke now and it makes it hard for me to breathe when I smell it.

You cannot be allergic to cigarette smoke, let alone develop an allergy to smoke. It's not an allergen, it's an irritant. What's most likely happening is that the smoke agitates an existing health problem, such as asthma.

Strong broscience in this thread

[87CamaroGuy]

Ban combustion engines too...

so if nicotine's a stimulant and constricts blood vessels and inhibits muscle growth, isn't caffeine and whatever else they put in preworkout drinks doing the same thing? lol

Ban combustion engines? NO WAY, my camaro does an excellent job of getting me to and from the gym during the summer months!!! I just hate it when my leg shakes on the clutch after a nice hard leg workout!!!

[ExScientia]

Smoking ABSOLUTELY does hurt muscle growth. Nicotine is a potent vasoconstrictor which reduces the blood supply to muscle. That is a huge hit right there because your are reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery, two things that are extremely important for both performance and recovery. The half-life of nicotine is 2 hours so that single cigarette is going to have long-lasting effects throughout the day (not to mention if you smoke multiple cigarettes each day).

Aside from the blood flow issue, it seems that smoking has direct metabolic effects on muscle growth AND maintenance of current muscle mass. Here is a study showing that smokers had decreased protein synthesis and impaired muscle maintenance...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17609255