Cigarette as we all know contains a substance called nicotine which is not good for the body. The truth is it not just the nicotine that causes the addiction. There are several toxins in a cigarette that can cause a person to keep up with smoking. Athletes who smoke turn to feel physically unfit, less time to recover from injuries and and most importantly disturbed sleep patterns.

Obviously an athlete who smokes is going to feel less energetic in partaking in a sports. For example, smoking before a sporting activity can cause muscle weakness. With experience people who smoke tend to have less muscle endurance than a non-smoker. In terms of reflexes and getting tackled easily off the ball in the game of soccer.

When people say smoking reduces stress levels, that is not the truth and it is more like a myth. The relaxation you receive comes from when a person stops smoking completely or temporary. Some notable sports stars who smoked during their prime were Ashley Cole, he went out of favour with the then coach of Chelsea Jose Mourinho because of his bad smoking habits. He eventually lost his place in the team and moved on. Dimitar Berbatov so nonchalant on the field of play was an avid smoker. Notable basketball player Michael Jordan and soccer star Wayne Rooney were all guilty of this habit.

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Kojo Krampah Essamuah

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