Muscle oxygenation levels in smokers and non-smokers during exercise: insights from a university-based study

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Youth smoking prevalence remains high despite awareness campaigns.
• Insufficient understanding of tobacco's physiological impact on young individuals.
• Need to assess exercise-induced muscle oxygenation differences between smokers and non-smokers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare muscle oxygenation levels in student smokers versus non-smokers.
• To investigate the relationship between smoking intensity and muscle oxygenation.
• To evaluate the impact of smoking on physiological responses during exercise.

Main Methods:

• Vastus lateralis muscle oxygenation measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).
• Participants included 40 smokers and 30 non-smokers (mean age 23).
• Six-minute walking test (6MWT) used to assess exercise response.

Main Results:

• Smokers exhibited higher exhaled CO, pulse, dyspnea, and fatigue scores post-6MWT.
• Lower maximum and minimum muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) observed in smokers.
• Greater changes in SmO2 (ΔSmO2) during exercise in smokers, correlating with smoking level and exhaled CO.

Conclusions:

• Smoking demonstrably decreases muscle oxygenation, dependent on consumption levels.
• Reduced muscle oxygenation represents a cumulative burden.
• This physiological impairment may predispose individuals to age-related comorbidities.