Written exclusively for insanelabz.com by JB Adams
Smoking has long been deemed "one of the worst things a person can do to their health." Nowadays, researchers may liken discoveries to the "new smoking" when said discoveries are found to predict disease and mortality. In 2023, study results considered muscle weakness and grip strength as the "new smoking" as researchers found that maintaining your muscle strength across your lifespan can help protect against many common age-related diseases. Researchers note that while muscular strength has long been a predictor of longevity, they found strong evidence of a biological link between muscle weakness and the body's aging process.
Most notably, researchers found that grip strength can demonstrate existing muscle weakness and is associated with accelerated biological age. While further research is certainly needed to determine more links between grip strength and biological age, the study results are a promising look into the odd relationship between cigarette smoking and our muscles.
In fact, aside from impacting other aspects of our physical health, smoking can also affect one's muscle growth. In this post, we'll take a closer look at how smoking impairs muscle growth, how quitting can help, and share some tips for smoking cessation:
Smoking and muscles
While cigarette smoking is generally linked to critical organs like the heart and lungs, research over the years has also found that long-time smoking can negatively impact muscle health and growth. A study examining the link between smoking and muscle fatigue resistance noted that the combination of toxic and carcinogenic ingredients contained in traditional cigarettes has been linked to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis.
Smoking can also negatively impact the oxygen delivery to essential tissues, including skeletal muscles. This results in exercise intolerance and reduced muscle fatigue resistance, meaning that many smokers may have a hard time exercising for longer periods than non-smokers. This fatigue resistance is also common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — another health effect often associated with long-term cigarette smoking.
Fortunately, researchers also hypothesized that the effect of smoking on skeletal muscle fatigue is reversible by smoking cessation. Smoking cessation is also considered one of the main actions to prevent the progression of COPD.
Smoking cessation tips
Of course, smoking cessation is often easier said than done. Today, there are many products and innovative solutions available on the market to help smokers and ex-smokers transition to a more smoke-free life. Oral nicotine products have become especially popular among users seeking tobacco- and smoke-free substitutes for traditional cigarettes.
One such oral nicotine product is the nicotine lozenge, which is a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and is discreet and safe to use. Some of the best nicotine lozenges come from popular brands like Rogue and LUCY. These brands offer various nicotine lozenges in flavors ranging from wintergreen and peppermint to citrus and cherry ice. Depending on a smoker's preference and tolerance, they can also choose from a range of nicotine strengths (2mg to 4mg).
These brands also offer other forms of oral nicotine, including nicotine pouches. In recent years, many tobacco companies and startups have pivoted towards smoke-free products. In 2021, nicotine product manufacturer TJP Labs announced an expansion of their modern oral nicotine products. This expansion included a facility for new nicotine pouches, which was one of Canada's first modern oral nicotine manufacturing facilities for buccal nicotine pouches. Today, nicotine pouches are deemed to have harm reduction potential for combating tobacco-related illnesses.
Beyond these oral nicotine products, it's also important to make lifestyle changes to complement your smoking cessation journey. Building an exercise routine, for example, can help your body regain muscle strength and recover from the harms of cigarette smoking. If you want to improve your exercise routine, in a previous post, we highlighted our pre-workout supplement, Insane Labz Psychotic®️, which helps provide energy, focus, and endurance to help people work out more effectively while promoting muscle growth.
Written exclusively for insanelabz.com by JB Adams