Effects of Smoking Cessation on Physical Exercise Capacity

Abstract

Exercise has been recommended as an adjunct method for smoking cessation. From this point of view, performing exercise tests is becoming increasingly important for determining cardiopulmonary risk factors which individuals carry, for prescribing adequate exercise regimes, and for objectively measuring changes in physical capacity during abstinence period. In this study, we aimed to investigate short term changes in cardiopulmonary exercise capacity of individuals that stop smoking. Thirty-nine (25F/14M) asymptomatic volunteers were recruited from Stop Smoking Clinics, Department of Chest Diseases, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University. Participants underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer by 20 watt/2 min increases until reaching 85% of age-pre-dicted maximal heart rate. CPET was performed in the 1st and 10th weeks of abstinence period. Gas analyses (VO2 and VCO2) were made using expiration air. Prior to CPET, resting lung function tests were performed for each participant. In the whole group, body weight and body mass index increased (p< 0.01; p< 0.01). Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), exercise duration, and work performed by the participants also increased ( p< 0.01; p< 0.001; p< 0.001). In conclusion, smokers well-tolerated cardiopulmonary exercise test without any complications. Aerobic performance parameters of smokers improved significantly in an abstinence period of even as short as 10 weeks.