You can find me in the gym,
Bottle full of whey,
I got all the gains,
If you’re feeling strong today.
– 50 Cent (probably)
If you wish, you can grab the N.W.A. Newsletter Playlist on Spotify here, all of the songs that have been featured in the newsletter are on the playlist.
Happy Friday, Coach J here from Anyman Fitness – and welcome to the latest edition of The N.W.A. Newsletter.
Each week with the N.W.A. Newsletter, I give you the best Nutrition, Weightlifting, and/or Attitude advice for you to start to use in your life today.
Tens of thousands of people have used this exact newsletter to gain muscle, lose fat, and become a better version of themselves…
Without any further ado, let’s get started..
N.W.A. Tip Of The Week
For the better part of 50 years, we’ve been told nicotine is a horrible drug, and we should avoid it at all costs.
Recently, though, that’s changed (somewhat).
The evolution of the smoking industry has given rise to new delivery methods of nicotine.
With nicotine pouches, the vast majority of the carcinogens involved in smoking and smokeless tobacco have been eliminated.
This new, “healthy” way of ingesting nicotine has exploded in popularity.
But it begs the question, “Is nicotine actually healthy?”
“What do I need to know about nicotine?”
“If I use nicotine, what do I need to be aware of?”
Let’s dive in…
Nicotine is a naturally occurring substance, found in the tobacco plant.
For thousands of years, humans have ingested nicotine by smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.
Nicotine is a stimulant, similar in nature to caffeine.
Just like caffeine, nicotine can sharpen your focus, make you more alert, and may even improve athletic performance.
Many high level athletes consume nicotine before, or even during competition to improve how they do on the field.
(Baseball players are well known for their nicotine consumption.)
Nicotine has a “hormetic” effect on the body.
Hormetic means when nicotine is taken in small doses, there is a positive influence on health factors.
Nicotine may be a net positive on your health, if taken in a smart and effective manner (and not abused).
While getting your nicotine from smoking is undoubtedly bad for you, nicotine pouches probably are not as bad.
The lack of combustible smoke allows nicotine pouches to deliver your “hit” of nicotine in a potentially safer way.
(I’m using disclaimers like “probably” and “potentially” because nicotine pouches are brand new, and haven’t been around long enough to know for certain.)
Some of the biggest names in fitness have spoken positively about nicotine’s effects.
This includes Andrew Huberman and Peter Atilla – two of the most widely respected fitness personalities on the internet.
To watch Andrew Huberman’s YouTube podcast on nicotine, please tap here.
So that’s the “good” about nicotine.
That means we should all be popping Zyns left and right, correct?
Not so fast…
There are a lot of caveats with this one…
Nicotine is extremely addictive.
There’s a reason why tobacco executives put nicotine in cigarettes.
They want you hooked on their product.
Nicotine will hook you, and hook you fast.
It doesn’t take much before you realize nicotine has gotten its hooks into you, and it will be very difficult to quit.
Nicotine’s “buzz” is short lived; you will immediately need more nicotine to get a “kick” if you’re taking it for that purpose.
Nicotine delivers a jolt of stimulation, and a large dose of dopamine.
It feels good, and you get a buzz from taking it.
But after that initial buzz, your body quickly becomes accustomed to it.
In order to continue to feel the buzz, you need to consume more and more to achieve the same effect.
If you’re not careful, you find yourself abusing the substance, and your nicotine consumption will skyrocket.
You absorb about 50% of the nicotine contained in a nicotine pouch.
For reference, each cigarette you smoke will allow you to absorb about 1 milligram of nicotine.
Smokeless pouches like Zyn or ON! come with nicotine amounts on the packaging.
Common nicotine amounts include 2 mg, 3 mg, 6 mg, and in some cases up to 15 mg.
Since you absorb about 50% of the nicotine in a pouch, ingesting a 15 mg pouch of nicotine has the same nicotine hit as smoking 7-8 cigarettes at one time.
Since your body stops feeling the effects of lower doses of nicotine so quickly, and nicotine is such an addictive substance, the chance of nicotine abuse is high.
Countless people have started with the occasional 2 mg nicotine packet for increased focus, but have quickly found themselves consuming 6 mg (or higher) Zyns one after another all day long.
This is dangerous, and is considered nicotine abuse.
If you “graduate” to the higher powered, 15 mg nicotine pouches, and you get up to a can per day, you are ingesting 225 mg of nicotine per day.
With an absorption rate of 50%, this is the nicotine equivalent of smoking 5-6 packs of cigarettes, every single day.
Nicotine abuse has a myriad of negative side effects.
Raised blood pressure.
Increased resting heart rate.
Disrupted sleep and digestion.
Increased anxiety, and potential panic attacks.
Nicotine constricts your blood vessels; when abused the negative effects are profound, and scary.
Your risk for heart attack and strokes increase greatly.
So, here are my suggestions to you if you decide to use nicotine pouches for the positive effects:
Only use the low-powered, 2 mg nicotine pouches (like ON!).
A 2 mg nicotine pouch is the nicotine equivalent of smoking 1 cigarette.
That is considered the “hormetic” amount.
You will get the nootropic benefits of the nicotine, without the negative side effects from consuming too much.
Limit your consumption to 5 pouches per day, maximum.
This would mean you ingest 5 mg of nicotine per day (10 mg of pouches will allow you to absorb about 5 mg of nicotine.)
This is the nicotine equivalent of smoking about 5 cigarettes per day.
DO NOT increase your dosage, and chase the “buzz”.
This is the toughest part.
If you’re using nicotine for the buzz, or the dopamine hit, you’re going down a dangerous path.
Never start purchasing the higher level nicotine pouches.
Never start “double decking” the pouches, and putting more than one in at a time.
The safest amount of nicotine to consume is (probably) zero.
Yes, it seems there might be a few benefits to taking nicotine, if you do it responsibly.
That being said, being nicotine-free is likely the best play.
It’s just too addictive of a substance, and the potential for abuse is too high.
Proceed at your own risk, and use your head out there.
No stimulant is worth risking your good health, nootropic or not.
I currently have a few spots open on my personal, 1:1 roster for coaching.
I team up closely with my 1:1 clients and we work together on an individualized approach for success.
To learn more about this unique, “All In” experience, tap here and fill out this quick form – it will go directly to my email inbox.
Looking forward to speaking with you.
More AF Content From Around the Web:
Getting drunk on Saturday may seem cool but have you ever worked out, eaten well, gone to bed at a reasonable hour, and woke up on Sunday morning feeling incredible?
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Anyman Fitness N.W.A. Newsletter.
I’ll be back next week.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Best, Coach J
Anyman Fitness
Read the N.W.A. Newsletter Archives
Client Testimonials and Results
It’s your birthday… (NSFW – lyrics)