A smoking article for use in an aerosol-generating device includes an aerosol-forming substrate located at an extreme upstream end of the smoking article; and a support element located immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate. The support element abuts the aerosol-forming substrate and the aerosol-forming substrate 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.