Nicotine: Sporting Friend or Foe? A Review of Athlete Use, Performance Consequences and Other Considerations
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REVIEW ARTICLE
Nicotine: Sporting Friend or Foe? A Review of Athlete Use, Performance Consequences and Other Considerations Toby Mu¨ndel1
Ó The Author(s) 2017. This article is an open access publication
Abstract Nicotine use amongst athletes is high and increasing, especially in team sports. This narrative review examines the rationale behind its use and evidence of its effect on physical performance, and considers important factors that should determine future research efforts. To date, ten studies have assessed muscular strength and power, sub- or maximal endurance and high-intensity exercise when nicotine (medication) or smokeless tobacco was used as an intervention. Two studies observed an ergogenic effect, one an ergolytic with the remaining seven reporting no change. These studies have notable limitations and confounding factors that include participant tolerance to nicotine, interindividual responses, the nicotine delivery system used and failure to adhere to rigorous experimental/scientific design. Further research is encouraged to address these limitations and determine the extent to which anti-doping and governing bodies should consider promoting, coordinating and monitoring any effort against nicotine and nicotine-containing substances in sports.
Key Points At present, the use of nicotine is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Nicotine is available over-the-counter and use is widespread amongst professional team/strength sports (e.g. American football, ice hockey, wrestling, bobsleigh, gymnastics, rugby, skiing) whereby active consumption of nicotine and nicotine-containing substances in-competition occurs in approximately 25–50% of such athletes. Nicotine’s mode of action includes both psychostimulatory and sympathomimetic effects. Of the 16 performance investigations presented in the ten studies reported herein involving nicotine or a nicotine-containing substance to date, the majority (12) have demonstrated no significant effect. However, the current evidence base is limited both in the quantity and quality of studies performed. This literature review outlines important considerations for a more complete interpretation of results, and proposes future avenues of investigation that should determine the true magnitude of whether nicotine enhances performance, increases the health risk to an athlete and alters the spirit of sport.
& Toby Mu¨ndel [email protected] 1
School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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T. Mu¨ndel
1 Introduction Together with caffeine, nicotine is considered the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world [10]. Consumption patterns include smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) and smokeless (chewing tobacco that creates salivation and the need for spitting, a moist form of chewing tobacco called snus placed under the lip without the need for spitting, and a dry powdered form of snuff inhaled through the nose) tobacco as well as nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) marketed in gum, tr
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