Smoking Athletic Performance Australia: 3 Ways It’s Sabotaging You
By Michael Whelehan | Certified Master Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner | Breathe Hypnotherapy | Updated August 2026
Smoking athletic performance damage isn’t just about getting puffed out faster, it shows up in measurable numbers that sports scientists have been tracking for decades. If you smoke and train, the research points to a consistent gap between what your body could be doing and what it’s actually doing.
1. Smoking Lowers VO2 Max, the Core Measure of Fitness
VO2 max, the maximum rate at which your body can use oxygen during exercise, is considered the gold standard measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. A peer-reviewed study published on PubMed found that smokers aged 20 to 29 had significantly lower VO2 max than non-smokers of the same age, and the gap widened the more someone smoked. VO2 max was found to correlate negatively with cigarettes smoked per day, years spent smoking, and total pack-years, meaning the damage compounds the longer the habit continues.
2. Smoking Reduces Lung Capacity During Exertion
Beyond VO2 max, smoking measurably affects Forced Vital Capacity, the total amount of air your lungs can forcibly exhale. Research examining smokers before and after aerobic testing found lung capacity was remarkably affected by cigarette use, alongside elevated blood pressure and heart rate during exercise. For anyone training for endurance sport, this is the physiological ceiling smoking places on how much oxygen you can actually get into your system when it matters most.
3. Smoking Slows Recovery and Blunts Performance Gains
It isn’t only about the numbers during exercise, it’s what happens afterward. A separate study comparing current smokers, former smokers, and people who had never smoked found current smokers had the lowest VO2 max of the three groups, while former smokers had recovered to a level close to people who had never smoked at all. That recovery is the part worth paying attention to, because it means the damage isn’t necessarily permanent.
What Happens to Your Fitness When You Quit
This is where the research gets genuinely encouraging. A trial published in Nature Scientific Reports found that people who quit smoking cigarettes showed measurable VO2 max improvements within just four weeks, with further gains still building by the twelve week mark. A separate systematic review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition similarly found that long-term nicotine withdrawal significantly improved exercise-related physical capacity over time, even though the same review noted athletes should avoid quitting abruptly right before competition, since short-term withdrawal effects can temporarily disrupt performance.
Why This Matters Beyond Sport
You don’t need to be a competitive athlete for this to be relevant. Cardiorespiratory fitness is directly tied to broader cardiovascular health, an area we’ve covered in more depth in our guide to smoking and heart disease. Whether your goal is running a personal best or just climbing stairs without getting winded, the underlying mechanism smoking damages is the same one.
Why Quitting Timing and Method Matter
If you are an athlete, the research suggests planning your quit date away from major competitions rather than quitting abruptly beforehand, since short-term withdrawal can temporarily affect focus and performance even as long-term capacity improves. This is exactly where a structured, one-session approach has an advantage over gradually tapering or quitting cold turkey mid-season, since it addresses the habit directly rather than dragging out a withdrawal period during training.
Important Disclaimer
Breathe Hypnotherapy does not provide sports medicine advice, fitness coaching, or medical clearance for exercise or competition. This article is general information about the documented relationship between smoking and athletic performance, based on peer-reviewed research. Hypnotherapy at Breathe supports people to stop smoking or vaping. It is not a substitute for guidance from a sports physician, exercise physiologist, or your GP, particularly if you have an existing respiratory or cardiovascular condition.
Ready to Quit and Reclaim Your Fitness
If smoking is holding back your training or your fitness goals, Breathe Hypnotherapy offers a single Zoom session, Australia-wide, backed by a lifetime relapse guarantee. If you ever relapse, you’re welcome back for a free follow-up session at no cost. Book your session with Michael today.
