Does that shit work for people? I’m a former smoker and nicotine gum doesn’t do shit for me! 
I do know that it’s expensive, though.
More on the topic, though: You can get any form of caffeine in powder form. Just look at the label of a preworkout powder and see what they use and find a powdered form of it in bulk.
I smoke like 2 cigars per year as treat so I’m the wrong guy to ask. But it me a buzz for sure.
I do know that nicotine works on a receptor that doesn’t downregulate. So from an effectiveness standpoint whether you feel it or not it is still forcing lipolysis in your fat cells (and all its other effects). What better time to put fatty acids in the blood stream than during a workout?
Some people who smoked will get mad at me for suggesting this. But considering people are willing to use ECA, Clenbuteral, Albuteral, DNP etc… nicotine is more effective than all but DNP. I would never touch DNP.