First thing in the morning

[granola]

I consider myself an athlete. I aim to train about 5 days a week: running, biking, swimming, and lifting heavy weights or doing CrossFit conditioning. I generally prefer to workout in the morning, and that means I go without snus until after my morning session.

Therefore I'm working out when my nicotine levels are at their lowest. Does anyone else follow a similar schedule and find the low nic levels have a negative or positive effect on their physical abilities?

I don't think I want to pop in a portion at 6am and then hit a hard workout, but I know I've seen at least one study where they demonstrated better cycling performance when guys are wearing a nic patch vs. no nic patch.

I race the SF Triathlon (sprint) this coming Sunday and my start time is 7:25am, so I'm also trying to decide if I go with a portion on my way to the race or not. I feel like it would calm the nerves and wake me up, but I also know that after I snus I feel like I'm exerting myself more when I do physical activity (eg walking up a hill).

PS - I saw this related thread: http://www.snuson.com/forum/showthre...ining-and-snus

[lxskllr]

I'm not an athlete, but nicotine makes me feel poorly when exercising, and I feel it limits my performance. I imagine people react differently, so the only way you can really tell is by testing. You don't have time to properly test, so personally, I'd forgo the snus, or at least use nothing more than a mini.

[granola]

Sage advice my friend. I'm thinking I'll make a nice big espresso instead.

[BrianC]

I'm sortof similar but also a bit different. I feel that using snus WHILE working out limits my performance, but one right before doesn't seem to affect me. Being as how you are used to not having one till after, sticking to that seems the best, there is nothing like that after workout snus!!

[c.nash]

Depends on the activity for me. But most of the time I can snus and do physical activity without any side effects.

[Monkey]

I refrain from snus about 1/2 hour before I work out and don't pop a new one for about a half hour after....usually in the shower after I hydrate.

I have gotten up to running 2 miles and lift moderate weights along with some core work....I do about an hour or two in the gym five days a week.

Not an athlete.....just trying to get into a shape.other than round. But I don't snus while working out.

[Lcarvone]

I race the SF Triathlon (sprint) this coming Sunday and my start time is 7:25am,

So how did the race go?

[heders]

When I run or hit the gym, I never snus during the exercise. But when it comes to skateboarding, I feel that snus enhances my performance and makes me able to land difficult tricks and flips.

[devilock76]

I exercise first thing in the morning, usually around 5:30 am. I abstain from nicotine till after my workout. I am laid up though for a while now due to a partially torn Achillies tendon. Stinks. Even when I get out of the air cast it will only be cycling and swimming for me, no running for a while. I wanted to do my first triathlon in the spring, but this may push me back, we will see.

Ken

[granola]

The race was great! The hardest part was getting out of bed at 4:30am on a Sunday (brutal right?). I made a mug of coffee and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast. This was my first race back in 2 years since I broke my collarbone, shoulder blade, and 3 ribs in a crash in 2009. That, coupled with the fact that I dislike swimming in the ocean, meant that my nerves were definitely on edge. I think a portion might have helped the calm factor but I was just fine without.

Overall I finished 5 minutes faster than my target time, and did rather well on the swim (usually my weakest sport). The swim was in the San Francisco Bay, but in a sheltered marina between Treasure and Yerba Buena Islands. I much prefer swimming in freshwater, but I came out of the water behind the fastest lead group, ahead of the majority of my age group. The bike portion was fun because it was 3 laps of a technical course around Treasure Island with sharp turns every few blocks. The run portion was short enough that it was manageable and I ran my
2nd-best 5K time to date.

I ran the same race 2 years ago and finished 5 minutes faster. However back then I was putting in twice as much training time on the bike and run, so I'm pretty happy with the result.

The biggest unknown for me Regarding snus is seeing how it affects my ability to perform physical work and triathlon training. Since I'm not a former smoker, my comparison is not to cigarettes but rather to the stimulants commonly rx'd for ADHD. I find that nicotine is a more effective treatment in most aspects (something my doc acknowledged could be true) -- but I'm still waiting so see how it affects my strength and stamina.

I'm also still wondering: does anyone here work-out first thing in the morning? If so, do you snus before your AM workout? Or do you wait until after? I'm wondering primarily because of this study which I mentioned earlier: Effect of transdermal nicotine administration on exercise endurance in men. Basically it says low-dose nicotine (via patch) improves endurance. Thus, if my daily workout is actually during the one time of day when my nicotine level is *lowest*, am I actually performing worse than if I went with a suns portion before my AM workout?

[granola]

Ken, sorry to hear about the injury. I know how you feel. How did you tear the tendon and when do you get out of the air cast?

It's helpful to hear your approach to AM workouts. Have you ever experimented with pre-workout snus? Not suggesting it, just wondering if you have any observations.

[devilock76]

Ken, sorry to hear about the injury. I know how you feel. How did you tear the tendon and when do you get out of the air cast?

It's helpful to hear your approach to AM workouts. Have you ever experimented with pre-workout snus? Not suggesting it, just wondering if you have any observations.

I won't touch nicotine for about 30 minutes before I work out when I used to workout in the after noon. Morning I have no nicotine till after my workout, regardless what day it is (I alternate cardio days with strength training days).

It happened on a run. I have just started getting back into this after years off. I was a track runner in high school but had a knee injury and kid of said f it. Wish I hadn't but it is what it is.

a month ago I was having achillies pain in the same leg. Saw the dr was perscribed an antiinflammatory and two weeks no running, so I biked and swam instead on cardio days, waited my two weeks and then two weeks ago started back running, slowly at first.

I was running last wednesday, just over a mile in sharp pain in the tendon that stopped me to the point I had to be called to be picked up. Same leg and everything. No calf tightness leading up to it, other than before I started the typical early morning tightness. I took a longer warm up walk and stretching that morning too. I got 3 weeks in this thing then a follow up to see if I need 3 more weeks in it.

I just switched to morning workouts and an overall early morning schedule. Was always a night owl but trying something different. In the NC heat it is easier to do a morning workout and most races are morning races so I figured it was for the best.

The only other thing going on is I have been really focusing on my running form. I got hurt before because I tended to over stride and was a heel striker. I have been on and off experimenting with minimalist shoes and barefoot running. They say that can aggrevate the achilies. Here is the thing though. I had no achilies problems till I switched back to trainers to give my feet a bit of a rest. Although it seems counter intuitive I have only had this problem running in trainers. Not sure what to make of that.

Ken

[Roo]

Hey granola, welcome to the forum. With regard to a pre-workout snus, might I suggest that you just try it and report back. Before various injuries, I was doing a lot of running (last summer). I ran in the afternoon, on my lunch break at work, and always had a snus on my way to the gym, and on my way back. No ill effects. BUt everyone is different, and it sounds like you may be more sensitive to nicotine. Still, I think the only way you will get a satisfactory answer is to give it a whirl. Cheers.

[Poorpoe]

idk i went biking one night with a portion in and the only difference i seemed to notice i was more thirsty at the end of my ride. other than that no difference whatsoever. but i think it was more to deal with the salt not the nicotine. and if you think about nicotine may help your performance by cutting pain and increasing your metabolism.

[devilock76]

Nicotine is a vasco constrictor. Using it while exercising will limit your performance.

Ken