Acute Effects of Nicotine on Physiological Responses and Sport Performance in Healthy Baseball Players

Shih-Hua Fang, Chi-Cheng Lu, Hua-Wei Lin, Kuan-Chen Kuo, Chen-Yu Sun, Yi-Ying Chen and Wen-Dien Chang
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Shih-Hua Fang: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Chi-Cheng Lu: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Hua-Wei Lin: Department of Ball Sport, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Kuan-Chen Kuo: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Chen-Yu Sun: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Yi-Ying Chen: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan
Wen-Dien Chang: Department of Sport Performance, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung 404401, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: There is interest in whether nicotine could enhance attention in sporting performance, but evidence on the acute effect of nicotine on physical response and sports performance in baseball players remains scant. This was an observational study to examine whether nicotine gum chewed before exercise could provide acute effects on physiological responses and sport performance. Accordingly, heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cotinine concentration and α-amylase activity, cognitive function, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance were measured. Thirteen healthy male non-smoker baseball players were recruited. Conducting two sequences with 7-day intervals, they chewed nicotine gum (nicotine group) or flavor-matched placebo gum (placebo group) for 30 min. HRV and saliva analyses were conducted before gum consumption (S1), after gum consumption (S2), and after test completion (S3). Cognitive, muscle strength, and baseball-hitting performance tests were performed after nicotine or placebo gum chewing. The outcomes of all assessed variables were compared within and between the groups. Significant changes in HRV, α-amylase, testosterone, and cortisol were observed in the nicotine group at S2 and S3 ( p < 0.05). Compared with the placebo group, the nicotine group exhibited enhanced motor reaction times, grooved pegboard test (GPT) results on cognitive function, and baseball-hitting performance, and small effect sizes were noted (d = 0.47, 0.46 and 0.41, respectively). Nicotine could induce changes in endocrine and sympathetic nerve activity and enhance cognitive function and baseball-hitting performance. However, no increase in muscle strength was observed after nicotine intake.

Keywords: nicotine; heart rate variability; cognitive function; baseball-hitting performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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