“If you smoke for 2 years, your body will break down”… Electronic cigarettes, physical strength decreases as much as regular smokers

A study found that e-cigarette smokers had lower exercise capacity than their non-smoking peers, but had similar fitness levels to smokers of the same age.

Dr. Azmi Faisal’s team at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK revealed the background of their study, saying that they wanted to examine the effects of e-cigarettes on the body of 60 people in their 20s whose lung function was normal according to standard tests.

Each group consisted of 20 people and was divided into three groups: a group that smoked e-cigarettes for more than two years, a group that smoked regular cigarettes, and a non-smoker group. Each participant rode a stationary bicycle.dI participated in a test that gradually increased the intensity of exercise. It was an experiment to see how well I could tolerate the overall fitness and exercise level, and the heart, lungs, and muscles responded to the maximum while observing the increase in intensity step by step, and arterial function was assessed through blood tests and ultrasound examinations.

Analysis of the results showed that the average maximum exercise load capacity of the e-cigarette group was 186 watts, which was significantly lower than the 226 watts of the non-smoking group. This was similar to the average of smokers, who had 182 watts. This figure reflects the maximum exercise intensity that a person can produce during exercise.

Also, at maximum exercise intensity, the average oxygen consumption of the e-cigarette and regular cigarette smoking groups was 2.7 liters per minute and 2.6 liters per minute, respectively, which was lower than the non-smoking group’s 3 liters per minute. Blood tests and ultrasound tests also showed that the e-cigarette users and regular cigarette smokers had lower vascular function than non-smokers.

There were also some results that were easily visible. For example, smokers and e-cigarette users showed noticeable shortness of breath before they reached their maximum exercise level and much earlier than non-smokers. Blood tests also showed higher blood lactate levels, which indicate muscle fatigue, compared to non-smokers, indicating greater leg fatigue.

“While the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on our bodies are not yet clear, they have been linked to lung inflammation and damage, and harmful changes in blood vessels,” said Dr. Faisal. “These findings suggest that e-cigarette use is no better than smoking.”

“E-cigarettes are marketed in a variety of flavours and at low prices to appeal to young people,” said Dr Filippos Filippidis, member of the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) Committee on Tobacco Control. “As a result, we are seeing more and more people taking up the habit without knowing the long-term consequences.” “E-cigarette users need to be informed about the harmful health effects of e-cigarettes, and doctors and policymakers need to be aware of these risks and do everything they can to support children and young people to avoid or quit using e-cigarettes.”

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society.