Anyone who has tried to quit smoking -- and I've never been a smoker so I can only empathize -- knows there are no easy outs. But, sometimes a series of little nudges can add up and help push a puffer shake the addiction. So what's the Crew's contribution? Need you even ask?
New research out of Great Britain shows that smokers who took a moderate-intensity 15-minute walk when they craved a cigarette lessened their desire for a smoke compared with a control group, and waited an average of 83.7 minutes for their next cigarette, compared with 26.6 minutes for non-walkers. (Participants walked on a treadmill under observation, so we trust the researchers' claim that the walkers did not light up during their strolls.) All study participants, who smoked an average of 15 cigarettes daily, abstained from smoking for two hours before testing.
The study has been accepted for publication at a peer-reviewed journal.
Adrian Taylor, an exercise and health psychology teacher at England's University of Exeter and the study's lead investigator, said nicotine and exercise both send feel-good messages to the brain.
"The dopamine pathway triggered by exercise appears to mimic [the effect of] smoking on the brain," Taylor said. The drug Zyban (bupropian HCL), prescribed to help people quit smoking, is designed to imitate that effect. Significantly, that same drug is sold under the name Wellbutrin to treat depression.
His study also showed that exercise helps dampen numerous nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including depression, irritability, stress, restlessness and lapses in concentration. "We are looking at using exercise as a mood enhancer," he added. "Instead of turning to nicotine or sugar or some other substance when you're down, why not exercise?"
While Taylor studied the impact of brisk walking, he said any exercise that sustains an elevated heart rate would have the same effect. In fact, a few studies published in the past five years have shown similar results.
A study of 78 smokers published in the July 2001 issue of the journal Psychopharmacology showed that a single bout of 10 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling rapidly and measurably reduced both the urge to smoke and withdrawal symptoms, compared with waiting passively or watching a video.
And a study published in the March 2004 issue of the same journal cited reductions in withdrawal and cravings after moderate-intensity exercise, but not after light-intensity exercise.
Taylor said he chose walking because it is more accessible to a wider range of people than are cycling and other aerobic activities.
"Cravings reach a peak, and you must be able to manage that [period]. For example, if you've got a job interview coming up and you're feeling stressed, you could go for a walk instead of smoking," Taylor noted.
He also mentioned emerging research showing that children who are more active are less likely to become smokers later in life than are less-active kids. "If kids aren't getting the dopamine effect from exercise, they will look to other substances."
Predictably, for both kids and adults, we vote for exercise over other substances. No chat this week, so use the time to go out and play. Back online next Thursday. E-mail: move@washpost.com .
-- John Briley
