The effects of physical activity as maintenance for smoking cessation.

The effects of physical activity as a maintenance strategy for smoking cessation were evaluated. After a standard smoking cessation program, forty-two women were randomly assigned to one of three groups that received equal number of maintenance meetings: a physical activity program, smoking habit change information and contact control. Abstinence decreased from 83% at the end of treatment to 73% at 3 months, 49% at six months and 34% at 18 months. No differences were shown in cessation across groups. Group differences were shown for subjective levels of tension-anxiety, those who exercised showed increased tension anxiety levels compared to subjects in the no activity groups.

The effects of nicotine chewing gum on the sensitivity to muscle tension.

It has been shown that smoking can alter the sensitivity to muscle activity in female smokers. The present study was designed to assess the effects of smoking cessation and nicotine replacement on sensitivity to muscle tension. Twenty-five women were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was given nicotine chewing gum during the withdrawal period and a second group was given no nicotine replacement. Results showed a significant difference in sensitivity at post-test for subjects given nicotine gum compared to subjects receiving no nicotine replacement. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that nicotine alters sensitivity to muscle tension.

The effect of smoking on perception of muscle tension.

It has been suggested that smoking may reduce affect in high-arousal situations by blocking peripheral physiological cues. The effects of smoking on perception of one type of physiological response, muscle activity, was evaluated in two studies. In study 1 male and female smokers were exposed to four conditions: high and low arousal crossed with smoking or deprivation. Results showed that smokers produce less muscle activity during high- than low-arousal situations, and that smoking reduced sensitivity to muscle activity in females, but enhanced it in males. These perception differences were not related to arousal as assessed by heart rate, which was elevated in all high-arousal situations. When compared to nonsmokers, smokers in a deprived state generate more muscle activity during the perception task, but showed no differences in sensitivity. These results represent the initial demonstration that smoking can alter the perception of physiological processes. Study 2 was designed to determine whether the effects of smoking were specific to muscle tension or indicative of a more generalized perceptual change. Perception of muscle tension and decibel levels were compared in smoking or deprived female smokers who were in the high-arousal situation. Results for muscle-tension perception in high-arousal situations were similar to those in study 1, but smoking did not alter perception of auditory stimuli.

Relationships among measures of smoking topography.

Interrelationships between puffing, puff duration, puff volume, and heart rate change were assessed in a sample of 63 chronic, high rate smokers. Results showed puff duration and volume were related for males and females, and that heart rate change was related to volume in males and puff duration in females. Puffs were not related to either volume or heart rate change in males or females. These results call into question research on smoking behavior which does not measure volume, and shows that components of puffing may not be used interchangeably, and that neither puffs nor puff duration are accurate predictors of volume of intake.