
Cigarette smoking: an underused tool in endurance training (2010) - erwan
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001541/
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Declanomous
My dad was an All-American swimmer competing mainly in the butterfly, and is
the second-youngest person to earn a varsity letter at Notre Dame, and he
accomplished this while smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day.

Of course he nearly died of a heart attack at the age of 47, despite having
seen several cardiologists complaining of heart pain. As it turns out, his
heart and lung function masked the fact that his left descending aorta (aka
_The Widowmaker_ ) was 98% blocked.

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goldcd
I liked "The hemoglobin increases may be further enhanced with add-on therapy
of ethanol" \- i.e. a nice pint with your cigarette.

Technically Smoking does increase your haemoglobin (CO binds to it better,
blocking O2, causing body to produce more) - just doesn't increase your
ability to carry more O2 (and gloopy blood is not good for you). Also,
probably does increase lung capacity, by destroying pesky surfaces used to
transfer O2 from teh air to your blood.

I can only think somebody got bored at work and decided to chuck this out
there for a giggle/reference-bait.

~~~
szemet
And you just have to drink 500ml red wine to cancel the negative effect of a
cigarette on the heart [1], so in the end you can go home from the pub with
better breathing and with the same arteries.

This what I call science at its best ;)

[1]
[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/1440278/Re...](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/1440278/Red-
wine-reduces-effects-of-smoking.html)

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pookahbooh
This information is only useful for smokers, former smokers, and those who are
transitioning into a former smoker while dieting and exercising....I can tell
you first hand, any long time smoker, whether you were a light or heavy
smoker, finds themselves out of breathe quickly when complete cessation
begins, if the intensity of whatever activity picks up. It takes around two-
three weeks before your body fully adjusts. Sometimes when in transition, it
does help to smoke a little bit before a long run. It just does. Some of it is
psychological though, because as the intensity increases, so does the tension
and stress. The nicotine eases these feelings a bit. Funny thing, you can't
stand the smell nor stand to smoke one after exercise.

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mirimir
Very funny. But what about nicotine alone, via patches or gum? I kept using
nicotine gum for several months, after the last time I quit smoking, on the
theory that it helped me focus, and reduced appetite. But it was too iffy, and
I didn't like the taste.

~~~
insickness
I experimented with nicotine lozenges for an intense exam I recently took. I
decided not to use it for studying because I didn't want to get addicted or
build up a tolerance. I tested it out a few weeks before the exam to see if it
helped. It noticeably increased my ability to mentally focus while relaxing me
at the same time. I took a lozenge during my exam and it seemed to really
help. Passed the exam.

I wouldn't take it regularly but if there were a important event where I
needed mental clarity and relaxation, I may take it again.

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metaphor
Is this serious or another one of those parachute papers?

Having served in active duty with a hard requirement to pass a physical
fitness test twice each year, and being a former smoker who was motivated to
quit as my 1.5-mile run slipped every year despite each time feeling like I
had exerted myself more than the prior instance, I'm inclined to respectfully
call bullshit.

EDIT: Err, should have read the abstract first...parachute paper.

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nraynaud
I am lost, it’s clearly a joke (the part about the kids too young to grasp a
cigarette), but I don’t find the context for the joke. It can’t really have
been an actual in depth scientific joke since there is no actual vo2max of
smokers.

~~~
nerdwaller
I don’t believe it’s a joke, but instead hyperbole providing an example of
misapplied data to “dangerously flawed conclusions”. From the abstract:

> Improper correlation or extrapolation of data can result in dangerously
> flawed conclusions. The following paper seeks to illustrate this point,
> using existing research to argue the hypothesis that cigarette smoking
> enhances endurance performance and should be incorporated into high-level
> training programs.

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justinator
Anecdote: my Father would smoke before, during, and after his morning runs. He
competed in marathons and later, 24 hour runs on a track. I thought him crazy,
but I turned into a ultra runner, too (although I don't smoke - too expensive
these days!)

~~~
Entalpi
The paper is basically showing how to conclude the wrong thing from carefully
chosen data and analytics points.

Smoking is still bad for you.

