Nicotine Pouches: A tobacco free alternative for football players

Being a professional athlete is not an easy task. It takes extremely high levels of skill, dedication, and discipline to be able to compete at the highest levels. An athlete's health is top priority, as good health will mean they can function at optimal levels and perform at the rate that is expected of them. Let's look at football players for example. They must have superb cardiovascular health, due to the fact they are expending themselves for 90 minutes a week on the football pitch for their team's league matches, on top of regular training sessions, and any additional fixtures that they may have to play in during their season. You will not see a football player publicly smoking a cigarette, nor using an electronic cigarette as using these, especially cigarettes could heavily impact their cardiovascular health, and they would likely come under scrutiny for doing such a thing. In the past though, football players have been seen using Snus pouches, a smokeless tobacco product that is used as a nicotine delivery system in a subtle and discreet manner. This is due to the fact that Nicotine can actually help athletes with their performance, in a number of different ways. Whilst they are convenient, and discreet, Snus pouches still contain tobacco, and carry the risk of adverse health effects from the tobacco included in them. What is gaining in popularity is the use of Nicotine Pouches, a small pouch that only contains nicotine and flavourings, with no trace of tobacco being included. These are a much safer and better alternative for nicotine delivery, and in this article, I'm going to discuss why Nicotine pouches are a safer alternative for athletes, than traditional Snus pouches.

What is Snus and why are football players using it?

Snus originates from Sweden, and has been around since the 19th century. A standard Snus pouch is a small white pouch, which contains a specific amount of tobacco, nicotine, and flavourings, and can be used by people as a smokeless alternative to cigarettes. Snus has been hugely popular in Sweden & Norway ever since its inception; however, it has been banned from sale in all countries in the European Union since the early 1990s. This was banned due to the aggressive marketing techniques of the companies involved in the production of Snus, as well as concerns from the World Health Organisation over the detrimental health effects it could have due to containing carcinogens found in tobacco leaves. Whilst you cannot buy Snus here in the UK, it is not illegal to possess or use it, and football players have been known to use these pouches. In 2016, Jamie Vardy was photographed holding a tin of Snus pouches while on duty for England at the European Championship tournament. It's known that several other top tier football players are advocates of using Snus or Nicotine Pouches to enhance their performance.

How does Snus/Nicotine Pouches enhance performance?

Whilst Nicotine is highly addictive, it also carries other properties that can be utilised in everyday life, especially by athletes. Studies have shown that regular use of Nicotine can create a "stimulant" effect on the body. Therefore, players will use a pouch prior to going out onto the pitch, so they get an additional boost of energy to help them in their game. And with the pouches being so small and subtle, which is purposeful of the design, it will be hard to tell if a player is using one of these pouches. Not only can it increase endurance levels, but it can also bolster the muscles to give them a bit more strength via the medium of stimulation. Studies have also shown that Nicotine can help concentration levels in a person when it's absorbed into the body, which is absolutely crucial for football players to be on high alert to read the plays of their teammates to contribute to winning the match. Nicotine also has a positive effect on weight control of a person as well. Nicotine is known to be an appetite suppressant which will help athletes maintain their weight by not overindulging with food, and when Nicotine is absorbed into the body, it releases a small amount of dopamine, which is similar levels to the satisfaction a person gets from eating something delicious. It may all sound a bit crazy, but it's been scientifically proven!

Why are Nicotine Pouches a safer alternative?

Nicotine pouches are considered a safer alternative to Snus pouches down to the fact they do not contain any form of tobacco at all. All that is included in a nic pouch is nicotine, flavourings and other essential ingredients needed to make up the pouch contents. With tobacco being included in Snus pouches, the risk of serious diseases such as mouth cancer is high, due to the carcinogens that are found in a tobacco leaf after it's been treated and prepared for use from its raw natural form. Whilst it is a highly addictive chemical, Nicotine is not harmful, and there has been no proven evidence that it is harmful, nor can it cause any deadly diseases like that tobacco can. If Nicotine pouches are something you want to try, you can visit www.snusmail.co.uk which has a vast array of the leading brands of Nicotine pouches available to purchase, and shipped to you from within the UK!