Smoking article for use with an internal heating element

A smoking article (10) for use in an aerosol-generating device comprises an aerosol-forming substrate (20) located at an extreme upstream end (80) of the smoking article; and a support element (30) located immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate (20). The support element (30) abuts the aerosol-forming substrate (20) and the aerosol-forming substrate (20) is configured to be penetrable by a heating element of an aerosol-generating device having a diameter of between about 40 percent and about 70 percent of the diameter of the aerosol-forming substrate without substantial deformation of the smoking article. The support element is configured to resist downstream movement of the aerosol-forming substrate during insertion of the heating element of the aerosol-generating device into the aerosol-forming substrate.