CBP: Vaping and its affect upon athletic performance

It is no secret that smoking is a common cause of various diseases and premature deaths.

A chronic and recurrent addiction, which in 80% of cases starts before the age of 18. Tobacco, as such is a plant and its leaves are smoked, chewed, or snorted to experience a variety of effects.

However, the chemical nicotine is present in cigarettes, cigars, pipe and chewing tobacco, as well as electronic cigarettes, the last mentioned of which become very popular since they sell us the false idea that they help to stop smoking or that they are less harmful to health. E-Cigarettes have even been promoted as cigarettes that improve physical performance.

Electronic cigarettes are known by many different names, e-hookahs, vaporizers, or vaping devices and are available in many shapes and sizes; They can look like cigarettes, cigars, pipes, pens, or even in the form of a USB stick.

The term “vaping” ” refers to the fact that many of the consumers of electronic cigarettes consider that they produce vapor which is then inhaled, although in reality what electronic cigarettes produce is an aerosol of tiny particles that may contain nicotine and other substances such as propylene glycol and / or vegetable glycerin, which have been found to increase lung and airway irritation after concentrated exposure.

It is important to mention that several studies have shown that the aerosol – “vapor” – from the electronic cigarette contains certain cancer-causing chemicals, as well as flavoring chemicals, which, in some of the flavors contain different levels of diacetyl that has been linked to a serious lung disease: obliterative bronchiolitis.

In the belief that nicotine improves athletic performance, researchers warn about the dangers of using this substance since it may be responsible for leading to an imbalance between oxygen demand and supply, during the recovery period that even may provoke heart attacks, in addition to the introduction of toxic or irritating elements in the lung is counterproductive for sports.

It is important to clarify that, in the case of professional athletes, if they use substances for vaping it may include prohibited substances, running the risk of having an adverse analytical finding, or a positive result during an anti doping test.

Some effects that electronic cigarettes produce:

Severe lung diseases

Cough

Breathing difficulty

Chest pain

Nausea or vomiting

Tiredness

Weight loss

Considerable reduction in the amount of oxygen

Delays the healing process of wounds

Likewise, it has been proven that “vaping” in adolescents delays brain development, affects memory, concentration, learning, self-control, in addition to the fact that the electronic cigarette DOES generate addiction.