a study by researchers from the Health and Biomedical Research Institute Alicante known as Isabial, with participation from Alicante General Hospital and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, examined nicotine use among athletes. The study, published in a major sports medicine journal, found that nicotine appeared in about one of every five thousand tests, indicating that nicotine is not currently banned in sports but is still a widespread concern for athlete health and performance.
In the research project titled Should we be worried about nicotine in sports? an analysis of 60 802 anti-doping controls in Italy, investigators from Isabial and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, along with professors from the Anti-Doping Laboratory in Rome and a Canadian university, tracked nicotine positivity in urine samples from national and international sports events in Italy from 2012 to 2020. The data show a nicotine positivity rate around 23 percent across those competitions, signaling a notable presence of nicotine among athletes over nearly a decade and across multiple sports. The finding underscores the need to understand how nicotine use intersects with athletic performance and health, even though the substance remains permitted in competition.
Government bodies and research teams are increasingly discussing nicotine within sports despite its nonprohibited status. A representative from the applied pharmacogenetics field noted that elite athletes often symbolize peak health, yet tobacco use remains linked to addiction and various diseases. The lead researcher from Isabial stated that the global prevalence of tobacco consumption is high, and sports with nicotine rates surpassing that benchmark deserve careful scrutiny.
“Tobacco consumption in the general population worldwide is around 20 percent, so any sport with rates higher than this should raise concern.”
The study also broke down nicotine use by sport. Baseball and football posted the highest rates, with nicotine positivity exceeding twice the general population average in several team disciplines. The analysis further noted gender differences, with men showing higher nicotine use than women, and highlighted that team sports tend to show higher nicotine consumption than individual sports.
Football players
The largest portion of the sample came from football players, with more than 20 000 checks conducted over nine years. About one third of players tested positive for nicotine. The researchers explain that while the effect of nicotine on exercise is not entirely clear, many athletes use it not to enhance performance but as a way to relax, recover, and socialize with the team.
“Football players, like other athletes, may not be seeking a performance boost, but the exact impact of nicotine on exercise remains unclear; it appears to function more as a social and recuperative habit.”
Additional insights show that endurance-oriented athletes such as runners, cyclists, and swimmers tend to use nicotine less than those who rely primarily on strength and power. This pattern suggests a link between the type of athletic demand and nicotine use, rather than an outright universal effect across sports.
“Athletes requiring high endurance or aerobic capacity tend to use less nicotine than those who rely more on strength and power.”
The researchers emphasize the importance of this work as one of the largest follow-up studies of its kind. It follows a historically significant period in anti-doping monitoring, with nicotine now included in ongoing surveillance by major sport authorities even though it is not banned.
Smoking and cancer risk among women over two decades
The study also examined broader health trends, noting an ongoing overall decline in nicotine use from 2012 to 2020, while acknowledging persistent concerns. A rising share of nicotine intake among young adults and teenagers comes from new delivery methods such as electronic cigarettes, a development that warrants proactive health protections for athletes now and in the future.
Isabial researchers urge a deeper understanding of consumption trends to safeguard athlete health. They argue that nicotine is not harmless and carries addiction risk regardless of how it is delivered, making awareness and prevention essential for teams and sports organizations.