Avoid it at least one hour before you train.
The science:
For a new study, healthy young adults were put through a series of MRIs before and after vaping. The researchers found that inhaling e-liquid minimized blood vessel dilation and increased levels of C-reactive protein in the bloodstream. Together, these effects can lower your VO2 max.
Expert insight:
When e-liquid is heated and atomized (whether it contains nicotine, THC, or neither), tiny aerosol droplets form, says study author Alessandra Caporale, Ph.D., a post-doctoral researcher in the Laboratory for Structural, Physiologic, and Functional Imaging at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Some of them are small enough to reach sacs in the lungs called alveoli. Once there, the unwanted droplets can enter the bloodstream and cause the aforementioned negative effects.
The consequences impact every workout, whether you’re sprinting, lifting, or doing yoga, Caporale explains. When blood vessels dilation is impaired, the muscles don’t get the oxygen or circulation they need to function fully. Meanwhile, elevated C-reactive protein levels increase inflammation.
The bottom line:
Avoid vaping at least an hour before any type of workout, even if your pen is nicotine- and THC-free. If you take training seriously, ditch the habit entirely. “I’d say inhaling anything that’s not air is harmful,” Caporale says.