Smokeless tobacco, sport and the heart.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and mechanistic overview without systematic review methodology or primary data.
PubMed 25497687 · doi:10.1016/j.acvd.2014.10.003
What was done
Narrative review examining the physiological, cardiovascular, and athletic performance effects of smokeless tobacco (snuff and chewing tobacco) use at rest and during exercise.
What was found
The abstract reports qualitative physiological and mechanistic findings without quantitative data. Nicotine increases resting and submaximal heart rate, blood pressure, inotropism, cardiac output, myocardial oxygen consumption, and systemic vascular resistance via catecholamine release. It reduces heart rate variability and the ventricular fibrillation threshold while impairing endothelial-dependent vasodilation. Maximal exercise heart rate, cardiac output, and VO2max are unaffected, while muscular strength and anaerobic performance are decreased.
Why it matters
Highlights the cardiac risks and lack of maximal aerobic benefits associated with smokeless tobacco, supporting arguments for its restriction and discouragement in sports.
Limits
This is a narrative review with no primary data, systematic search methodology, sample sizes, or quantitative effect sizes reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Nicotine raises blood pressure and acts as a vasoconstrictor.