{"id":16607,"date":"2026-08-20T20:12:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T20:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=16607"},"modified":"2026-08-20T20:12:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T20:12:51","slug":"why-experts-say-its-a-bad-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=16607","title":{"rendered":"Why Experts Say It&#8217;s a Bad Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Lifters and influencers are turning to nicotine pouches for a nice jolt ahead of working out. Cardiologists and exercise physiologists say it&#8217;s masking fatigue, straining your heart, and setting you up for addiction\u2014not better PRs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border-border-light border-t py-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"flex h-4 justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"\"><button class=\"inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full cursor-default bg-bg-surface hover:bg-bg-light focus:bg-bg-dark text-primary border border-solid border-border-light aria-pressed:bg-brand-primary aria-pressed:text-text-surface py-very-tight px-base-tight gap-tight font-semibold font-utility-2 opacity-50\" aria-label=\"Loading audio\" aria-pressed=\"false\" id=\"article-listen-button\" disabled=\"\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\" class=\"\"><title>Listen to this article<\/title><path d=\"M12.5265 16.2C12.2326 16.2 12.0122 16.1265 11.7184 16.053C11.2775 15.9061 10.9102 15.6122 10.6898 15.2449C10.4694 14.8775 10.3959 14.4367 10.5428 13.9959L11.5714 10.3959C11.6449 10.1755 11.7184 9.95509 11.8653 9.80815C12.0122 9.66121 12.1592 9.51427 12.3796 9.36733C12.6 9.29386 12.8204 9.2204 13.0408 9.14693C13.2612 9.14693 13.4816 9.14693 13.702 9.2204H13.7755C14.2163 9.36733 14.5837 9.58774 14.951 9.95509C14.951 9.66121 14.951 9.29386 14.951 8.99999C14.951 7.38366 14.2898 5.8408 13.1877 4.73876C12.0122 3.56325 10.5428 2.9755 8.92652 2.9755C7.31019 2.9755 5.76733 3.63672 4.66529 4.73876C3.48978 5.8408 2.82856 7.38366 2.82856 8.99999C2.82856 9.29386 2.82856 9.66121 2.82856 9.95509C3.12244 9.66121 3.56325 9.36733 4.00407 9.2204H4.07754C4.29795 9.14693 4.51835 9.14693 4.73876 9.14693C4.95917 9.14693 5.17958 9.2204 5.39999 9.36733C5.6204 9.4408 5.76733 9.58774 5.91427 9.80815C6.06121 9.95509 6.13468 10.1755 6.20815 10.3959L7.23672 13.9959C7.38366 14.4367 7.31019 14.8775 7.08978 15.2449C6.86938 15.6122 6.50203 15.9061 6.13468 16.053C5.76733 16.2 5.39999 16.2 5.03264 16.2C4.66529 16.1265 4.29795 16.053 4.00407 15.9061C3.63672 15.6122 3.41631 15.3918 3.12244 15.0979C2.90203 14.8775 2.75509 14.5102 2.68162 14.1428L2.38774 13.0408L2.2408 12.6735C2.2408 12.6 2.16733 12.453 2.16733 12.3796C1.87346 11.2775 1.79999 10.1755 1.79999 8.99999C1.79999 7.08978 2.53468 5.25305 3.9306 3.9306C5.25305 2.60815 7.08978 1.79999 8.99999 1.79999C10.9102 1.79999 12.7469 2.53468 14.0694 3.9306C15.3918 5.25305 16.2 7.08978 16.2 8.99999C16.2 10.102 16.053 11.2775 15.8326 12.3796C15.8326 12.453 15.7592 12.6 15.7592 12.6735L15.6857 12.9673V13.0408L15.1714 14.1428C15.0979 14.5102 14.8775 14.8041 14.6571 15.0979C14.4367 15.3918 14.1428 15.6122 13.849 15.7592C13.5551 15.9061 13.1877 16.053 12.8204 16.053C12.7469 16.1265 12.6735 16.2 12.5265 16.2ZM3.71019 13.849C3.78366 14.0694 3.85713 14.2163 4.00407 14.4367C4.15101 14.6571 4.29795 14.7306 4.51835 14.8775C4.73876 14.951 4.8857 15.0245 5.10611 15.0979C5.32652 15.0979 5.54693 15.0979 5.76733 15.0245C5.98774 14.951 6.06121 14.8775 6.13468 14.7306C6.20815 14.5837 6.20815 14.4367 6.20815 14.2898L5.17958 10.6898C5.17958 10.6163 5.10611 10.5428 5.10611 10.4694C5.03264 10.4694 4.95917 10.3959 4.8857 10.3224C4.81223 10.3224 4.73876 10.249 4.66529 10.249C4.59182 10.249 4.51836 10.249 4.44489 10.249H4.37142C3.9306 10.3959 3.63672 10.6898 3.41631 11.0571C3.26938 11.351 3.19591 11.7184 3.26938 12.0857C3.34285 12.3061 3.34284 12.5265 3.41631 12.6735L3.71019 13.849ZM13.2612 10.3224C13.1877 10.3224 13.1877 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224C13.1143 10.3224 13.0408 10.3224 12.9673 10.3959C12.8939 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694C12.7469 10.5428 12.7469 10.6163 12.7469 10.6898L11.7184 14.2898C11.6449 14.4367 11.7184 14.5837 11.7918 14.7306C11.8653 14.8775 12.0122 14.951 12.0857 15.0245C12.3796 15.0979 12.5265 15.0979 12.7469 15.0979C12.9673 15.0979 13.1877 15.0245 13.3347 14.8775C13.5551 14.8041 13.702 14.6571 13.849 14.4367C13.9959 14.2898 14.0694 14.0694 14.1428 13.849L14.5102 12.6735C14.5837 12.5265 14.5837 12.3061 14.6571 12.1592C14.7306 11.7918 14.6571 11.4245 14.5102 11.1306C14.2898 10.7633 13.9959 10.4694 13.5551 10.3224H13.4816C13.3347 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"hidden sm:inline\">Listen<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\"> (Photo: Nicotine pouch: Anastassiya Bezhekeneva\/Getty; Design: Ayana Underwood\/Canva)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published August 20, 2026 01:16PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>From <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dwVtrM__VFY\">smelling salts<\/a> to caffeine-jacked energy drinks, buzzy pre-workout chemicals are now being peddled on social media and in gym locker rooms. But a new and highly unorthodox performance-booster has entered the chat in 2026: nicotine.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/willtenny\/?hl=en\">Will Tennyson<\/a>, a fitness influencer with over one million Instagram followers, recently <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/sec1ceAgW58\">posted a video<\/a> on his YouTube channel claiming the substance helped him \u201clock in\u201d during lifts. Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, in a NewsNation interview raved about the benefits of nicotine on cognitive function. Michaels also <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nNv7ULkbmFU&amp;t=86s\">has said that \u201cwhen not abused, there\u2019s really no reason not to utilize it,\u201d<\/a> but suggests being strategic about consuming it and getting a doctor\u2019s permission before doing so. Then there\u2019s Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr.\u2014a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CBSNews\/videos\/hhs-secretary-rfk-jr-does-pullups-after-news-conference-on-making-airports-healt\/32685940594382562\/\">fitness enthusiast<\/a> and the pioneer of the Make America Healthy Again campaign\u2014has been <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/heck-thing-inside-rfk-mouth-214804178.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKOabWCyRba112PXNN0zkHOWTSzNxAlL4KxhVHo2kflncJBDphwOdmF0sP2N2Aog6sJQTXiQz9WaD2K2grIsrDxlhDZmRtZAzx7JN-KSnvvTBE4d1UEMJkUYe9umOOpnqZ6FVAUX_Z2gKBZPdHLqlfXooaqP7xcJBjINdUSWiGVR\">photographed carrying (and allegedly using) ZYNs<\/a>, which, according to the American Lung Association, is one of the most <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lung.org\/blog\/zyn-nicotine-addiction\">popular forms of ingestible nicotine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear: the growing chorus of fitness voices aren\u2019t actually <em>smoking<\/em> nicotine, but rather consuming it via so-called tobacco-free products, such as nicotine pouches, patches, and gum.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why some athletes are turning to nicotine to fuel their performance\u2014and the long-term consequences it could yield.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Athletes Are Turning to Nicotine to Reach New PRs<\/h2>\n<p>Your <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK482280\/\">sympathetic nervous system<\/a>\u2014which controls the fight-or-flight response\u2014activates during exercise, which allows your body to meet the demands of whatever activity you\u2019re doing. \u201cYour heart\u2019s going to start to beat faster, and your blood\u2019s going to pump a lot faster to deliver that oxygen and get rid of metabolic waste products,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bmc.org\/visiting-us\/autism-friendly-initiative\/bmc-staff-wall-fame\">Tina Lankarge<\/a>, an exercise physiologist technician and tobacco treatment specialist at Boston Medical Center, told <i>Outside<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Many of those same bodily responses\u2014<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001293\">heart rate and blood pressure spikes<\/a>\u2014occur when you ingest nicotine, Lankarge said. She added that some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6018192\/\">research<\/a> has suggested that nicotine can also temporarily increase a person\u2019s motor skills, improve memory, and boost attention. That\u2019s why a growing number of fitness trainers and influencers\u00a0love the substance; those physiological changes make them <i>feel<\/i> primed to exercise, she explained.<\/p>\n<p>While you might not be inhaling chemically dense fumes via a cigarette when you use tobacco-free nicotine products like pouches, gum, or patches, you\u2019re welcoming a host of other issues, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/med.stanford.edu\/profiles\/andrea-jonas\">Andrea Jonas<\/a>, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician with Stanford University, told <i>Outside<\/i>. She says nicotine increases cardiac contractility, or the amount of oxygen the heart requires for each heartbeat, which can actually make your workouts <i>worse<\/i>. \u201cNicotine will actually diminish people\u2019s exercise outputs and also constrict blood vessels,\u201d she said. \u201cEspecially if people have underlying cardiac disease, it could make it more challenging for them to reach their peak exercise potential.\u201d You could increase your risk of developing an arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat) with exercise over time with nicotine use, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Jonas acknowledges that you might\u00a0<i>feel<\/i> primed to perform with nicotine. But your brain is essentially gaslighting you, she said. \u201cNicotine is going to cause tampering of your cardiovascular output, but then simultaneously give a boost in fine motor skills and attention,\u201d she explained. \u201cSo you might <i>feel<\/i> more focused even while your actual physical output has been diminished.\u201d Plus, nicotine is highly addictive\u2014so you might be continuously reaching for pouches because you feel like you need it (even if it\u2019s unknowingly hindering your performance).<\/p>\n<p>While there\u2019s plenty of evidence detailing the long-term effects of cigarettes, isolated nicotine use\u2014particularly in pouches packed with a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9985244\/\">trove of understudied ingredients<\/a>\u2014isn\u2019t nearly as well-understood, Jonas explained. Many of these manufacturers also tout their products as \u201ctobacco-free,\u201d which should be seen strictly as a marketing label, she said. \u201cConsumers may understandably interpret \u2018tobacco-free\u2019 as a health claim. It really describes how the product is made, not whether it is safe.\u201d Products <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lung.org\/blog\/tobacco-free-unsafe\">labeled as tobacco-free<\/a> simply mean that there\u2019s no nicotine from a tobacco plant present in the product. Instead, the nicotine has been created in a lab; however, the lab-created nicotine is chemically identical to tobacco-derived nicotine and is equally harmful.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Prepare for a Strong Workout\u2014Without Nicotine<\/h2>\n<p>As an exercise physiologist, Lankarage does not recommend any specific pre-workout chemicals (aside from the occasional cup of coffee). And while a grueling workday or poor night\u2019s sleep can contribute to the occasional sluggish workout, if you find yourself repeatedly needing a jolt of energy to make it to the gym, you should probably address your fatigue. \u201cIf you\u2019re experiencing brain fog, trouble concentrating, or excessive fatigue or soreness, it might be worth investigating why,\u201d Lankarge said. \u201cMaybe something has changed in your personal life, or maybe you need to see a doctor about an underlying issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It might not be a hidden health problem. Perhaps you\u2019re not fueling yourself, drinking enough water, or exercising in conditions that don\u2019t necessarily jive with your body\u2014outdoor runs in the heat and humidity, for example. \u201cIt could be a training strategy too. Maybe you\u2019re plateauing somewhere, and you need to reach out to a personal trainer,\u201d Lankarge said. Even if you\u2019re looking for a boost\u2014nicotine is not the answer, especially for long-term use. \u201cYes, a stimulant like nicotine will give you that temporary boost, but you\u2019re setting yourself up for addiction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Want more\u00a0<\/b><b><i>Outside<\/i><\/b><b>\u00a0health stories?\u00a0<\/b><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/hub.outsideinc.com\/bodywork_newsletter_sign_up-0\"><b>Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter<\/b><\/a><b>. And for tips on how to train, fuel, and recover better,\u00a0<\/b><b>sign up for the Sweat Science 101 newsletter<\/b><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/nicotine-pre-workout-trend-risks\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lifters and influencers are turning to nicotine pouches for a nice jolt ahead of working out. Cardiologists and exercise physiologists say it&#8217;s masking fatigue, straining your heart, and setting you up for addiction\u2014not better PRs. Listen to this articleListen (Photo: Nicotine pouch: Anastassiya Bezhekeneva\/Getty; Design: Ayana Underwood\/Canva) Published August 20, 2026 01:16PM From smelling salts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}