The effects of smoking and nicotine ingestion on exercise heat tolerance

Amit Druyan; Danit Atias; Itay Ketko; Yoav Cohen-Sivan; Yuval Heled

doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2016-0065

Article

The effects of smoking and nicotine ingestion on exercise heat tolerance

Amit Druyan , Danit Atias , Itay Ketko , Yoav Cohen-Sivan and Yuval Heled

Published/Copyright: November 10, 2016

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From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 28 Issue 2

Abstract

Background:

Smoking has a thermogenic effect and is associated with low physical performance. Nevertheless, a direct, quantitative effect of acute smoking on exercise heat tolerance has not been reported.

Methods:

Sixteen healthy young male volunteers, eight cigarette smokers, and eight non-smokers participated in the study. All subjects performed a maximal oxygen consumption test (VO_2max) and a standardized heat tolerance test (HTT) after at least 12 h without smoking under the following conditions: no nicotine exposure, 10 min after nicotine exposure (2 mg nicotine lozenge), and 10 min after smoking two cigarettes (0.8 mg nicotine in each cigarette, smokers only).

Results:

There was no significant effect of nicotine exposure on physiological performance and heat tolerance in the non-smokers group. In the smokers group, cigarette smoking, but not nicotine ingestion, resulted with higher heart rate (by 9±9 bpm) at the end of the HTT (p<0.05). Moreover, both smoking and nicotine ingestion increased smokers’ rectal temperature at the end of the HTT (by 0.24±0.16°C and 0.21±0.26°C, respectively, p<0.05) and were associated with higher sweat rate during the HTT (by 0.08±0.07 g/h and 0.06±0.08 g/h, respectively, p<0.05). Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis also revealed a higher LF/HF (low frequency/high frequency) ratio after exposure to nicotine and smoking in the smokers group compared with no exposure (2.13±2.57 and 2.48±2.76, respectively, p<0.05), indicating a higher sympathetic tone.

Conclusions:

According to this preliminary study, cigarette smoking and nicotine ingestion increase the physiological strain during a HTT in smokers. Acute smoking may, therefore, increase heat intolerance and the risk to heat injuries.

Keywords: heat tolerance; heat tolerance test (HTT); nicotine; physical performance; smoking

Corresponding author: Prof. Yuval Heled, PhD, Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel, Phone: +972-3-5303564, Fax: +972-3-7377002

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: This study was funded by the Israeli MOD.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.

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Received: 2016-4-27

Accepted: 2016-8-8

Published Online: 2016-11-10

Published in Print: 2017-3-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2016-0065

Keywords for this article

heat tolerance; heat tolerance test (HTT); nicotine; physical performance; smoking