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Smoking and Exercise
If you want to quit smoking, you make it easier for yourself by exercising (more) often. This is evidenced by research from St George’s University of London, which investigated how exercise protects against nicotine dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
It’s that time of year again when many people resolve to quit smoking. A fairly difficult task, as indicated by figures from the UK, which show a success rate of less than 50% [1]. It is clear that exercise does not fully protect you against the addiction of smoking.
When I used to smoke myself and people looked at me as if they saw water burning, I would joke, ‘I smoke because I exercise. You know, balance and stuff.’
The number of smokers at fitness expos like FIBO also makes it clear that exercising and smoking often go hand in hand, unfortunately. However, exercise seems to help in quitting this nasty habit. So, if quitting smoking and exercising are on your list of New Year’s resolutions, you can kill two birds with one stone.
Various studies have shown a connection between exercise and a reduced urge to smoke [2-6]. For example, research has shown that walking reduces withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke [3]. Other research has shown that the amount of physical activity could predict a relapse in smoking [2]. More physical activity meant a lower chance of relapse.
According to the research from St George’s University, even moderate-intensity exercise can significantly reduce withdrawal symptoms [6]. However, the researchers primarily wanted to learn more about how exercise achieves this effect. The study found that mice addicted to nicotine experienced a significant reduction in withdrawal symptoms by running on a treadmill for two hours or more per day.
How this translates into an amount of exercise for humans is unclear to me, as in the study, some mice would have run on the treadmill for up to 24 hours. That doesn’t seem very desirable for humans. For mice, it’s not desirable either, but I’m not knowledgeable about that.
They investigated the effect of exercise on various receptors and nerve cell-stimulating factors in the brain. These are areas in the brain that previous research has shown to play a role in addiction to nicotine, among other substances.
The researchers demonstrated an increase in the activation of a type of receptor in the brain called α7 nicotinic acetylcholine. This is a receptor on which nicotine normally acts, and we see the same increase in smokers. With their findings, the researchers believe they have gained more insight into how physical activity can protect against withdrawal symptoms.
Our research has shed light on how the protective effect of exercise against nicotine dependence actually works.
Dr. Alexis Bailey, University of London
So, if you’re already working on your list for 2018 and ‘quit smoking!’ is at the top, then note ‘exercise more’ as the next resolution. If you also want to actively work on the damage caused by smoking, then also note ‘Eat more tomatoes and apples’.
References
- Lifestyles Statistics Team, The Health and Social Care Information Centre (2012). Statistics on NHS stop smoking services: England, April 2011–March 2012. Department of Health: Leeds, UK.
- Abrantes AM, Strong DR, Lloyd-Richardson EE, Niaura R, Kahler CW, Brown RA (2009). Regular exercise as a protective factor in relapse following smoking cessation treatment. Am J Addict 18: 100–101.
- Taylor A, Katomeri M (2007). Walking reduces cue-elicited cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and delays ad libitum smoking. Nicotine Tob Res 9: 1183–1190.
- Taylor A, Ussher M, Faulkner G (2007). The acute effects of exercise on cigarette cravings, withdrawal symptoms, affect and smoking behaviour: a systematic review. Addiction 102: 534–543.
- Haasova M, Warren FC, Ussher M, Janse Van Rensburg K, Faulkner G, Cropley M et al. (2013). The acute effects of physical activity on cigarette cravings: systematic review and meta-analysis with individual participant data. Addiction 108: 26–37.
- Helen Keyworth, Polymnia Georgiou, Panos Zanos, Andre Veloso Rueda, Ying Chen, Ian Kitchen, Rosana Camarini, Mark Cropley, Alexis Bailey. Wheel running during chronic nicotine exposure is protective against mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal and upregulates hippocampal α7 nACh receptors in mice. British Journal of Pharmacology, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/bph.14068
