Do more, perform better when you quit tobacco Published June 29, 2011 By Leah Melquist Health and Wellness Center GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- You may think you are in the best physical shape of your life, but if you use tobacco you are not as fit as you could be. That cigarette you just smoked or pinch of chew in your cheek is sabotaging your physical fitness and keeping you from really going the distance. Tobacco affects your military readiness and poses serious health problems now and over the long run. Tobacco prevents you from reaching peak performance. Research shows military personnel who smoke score lower on fitness tests; an average of 32-35 points lower than their nonsmoker counterparts, according to one study. In another study, smokers ran slower and did fewer situps and pushups than former smokers or those who had never smoked. Smoking diminishes lung capacity and lowers oxygen levels in the blood, causing muscles to tire more quickly during physical exertion. Both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco increase your heart rate, and that lowers endurance. Researchers looked at runners in a 16K race and estimated the time for smokers to complete the run was increased by 40 seconds for each cigarette smoked per day. So, even if you can easily pass your regular physical-training or physical-readiness tests while using tobacco, know that you are not achieving your full physical potential. Tobacco impairs military readiness. Because the nicotine in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco is addictive, tobacco users need to regularly feed their habit or they will go through periods of withdrawal. During withdrawal, you can become irritable, restless, anxious, depressed, and angry. You also can experience a loss of concentration, slower reaction time and reduced attention span. If this should happen during a critical assignment, it could put you and your mission in jeopardy. You might find it easy to ignore the long-term consequences of tobacco, including cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and premature death. But did you know that tobacco is putting you at risk right now? If you smoke, your night vision isn't as good as that of your nonsmoking buddies, and you will most likely have more exercise-related injuries than they will have. You are also at higher risk for motor vehicle crashes, infection, surgical complications, and difficulty healing. But you can stop, and reverse, the immediate, short-term, and long-term ill effects of tobacco. Start the quit process now so that you can run faster, build endurance, and perform better: Tobacco Cessation Class: July 12, 14, 19, 26 at 11:00 a.m. Quit aids are available. For those that have schedules that conflict with the class, we have an online option available. To sign up, stop in the HAWC or contact Leah at 747-3583 or leah.melquist.1.ctr@us.af.mil