Mental And Physical Stamina |
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The blood’s reduced capacity to carry oxygen can make smokers tire more quickly. In a smoker’s blood, some oxygen-carrying iron is bound with carbon monoxide. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is compromised because the red blood cells are burdened with the carbon monoxide from smoke. Consequently, smokers tire more quickly and generally have reduced physical stamina. Stamina diminishes so much that many coaches won't work with athletes who smoke or have smoked, because these athletes are unable to reach their full potential.
Mental energy and mental stamina are similarly compromised by smoking, because less oxygen is supplied to the brain as well as the muscles. Thus, a person’s ability to respond mentally is compromised, and his ability to concentrate for long hours is also reduced. Although this loss of mental ability cannot be measured as precisely as can physical activity, scientists can use the eyes as a “window" into what goes on inside our heads. Precise optical measurements, which can measure subtle differences, show that the vision of smokers is consistently reduced compared to nonsmokers. Since the retina of the eye is actually a specialized brain tissue, there is no longer any question that smoking compromises mental ability; indeed, the only debate that remains is by how much.
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