J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 30: 595–600, 2018
The Journal of Physical Therapy Science Original Article
Effects of smoking and aerobic exercise on male college students’ metabolic syndrome risk factors Jee-Youn Kim, PhD1), Yuhao Yang, MS2), Young-Je Sim, PhD2)* 1) Department
of Physical Education, Graduate School, Korea University, Republic of Korea of Physical Education, Kunsan National University: 558 Daehak-ro, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk 573-701, Republic of Korea
2) Department
Abstract. [Purpose] The aim was to investigate the effects of university students’ smoking and aerobic exercise on metabolic syndrome risk factors. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-three male students were randomly assigned to the following groups: exercise smoker (n=6), non-exercise smoker (n=6), exercise non-smoker (n=6), and nonexercise non-smoker (n=5). A basketball exercise program was conducted three times per week (70 minutes per session) for 8 weeks with exercise intensity set at 50–80% of heart rate reserve. After 8 weeks, the variables of risk factors for metabolic syndrome were obtained. [Results] Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased in the exercise non-smoker group and significantly increased in the non-exercise smoker group. Waist circumference was significantly reduced in both exercise groups regardless of smoking and significantly increased in the non-exercise smoker group. Triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose showed no differences between the groups. [Conclusion] Obesity and smoking management should be conducted together for students as well as for those with metabolic syndrome risk factors. It is recommended that more students participate in such programs, and exercise programs should be further developed and diversified to prevent metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Key words: Metabolic syndrome, Aerobic exercise, Smoking (This article was submitted Dec. 4, 2017, and was accepted Jan. 23, 2018)
INTRODUCTION Metabolic syndrome is defined as a combination of abnormal metabolic conditions such as central obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance. It refers to a clustered incidence observed in an individual and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes1, 2). The exact cause of metabolic syndrome is unknown, but it occurs due to various genetic and environmental factors3). Smoking, drinking, and lack of physical activity are associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome4). Smoking is a particular factor and it is understood that nicotine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing cortisol levels, which triggers the accumulation of visceral fat, which affects lipid metabolism. Nicotine is also known to increase insulin resistance and cause metabolic syndrome5, 6). Smoking and obesity are globally the most common causes of death7). Metabolic syndrome is typically caused by central obesity, and insulin resistance8) occurs more frequently in less active and fit individuals9). Regular exercise not only has positive effects on body composition and body circumference but also offers various metabolic benefits that improve obesity and metabolic syndrome, such as increased metabolism when resting, through increased muscle mass10), improved blood lipids11), reduced blood pressure12), and improved insulin resistance13, 14). Briefly, regular physical activity is an effective method to improve metabolic syndrome which can cause cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. * Corresponding author. Young-Je Sim (E-mail:
[email protected]) ©2018 The Society of Physical Therapy Science. Published by IPEC Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) License. (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
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Table 1. Characteristics of subjects Age (yrs)
Height (cm)
Weight (kg)
Body fat (%)
Smoking history (yrs)
25.0 ± 1.3 24.2 ± 1.2 23.3 ± 6.8 23.8 ± 3.0
178.7 ± 5.3 175.0 ± 5.7 178.8 ± 7.1 171.4 ± 2.1
72.2 ± 13.6 67.7 ± 14.1 84.5 ± 9.5 73.4 ± 14.6
15.3 ± 7.0 19.7 ± 4.6 21.4 ± 2.3 21.9 ± 5.3
>5 >5 -
Group Ex smoker (n=6) Non Ex smoker (n=6) Ex Nonsmoker (n=6) Non Ex Nonsmoker (n=5)
Results are shown as mean ± SD, Ex: exercise; Non Ex: non-exercise.
Table 2. Basketball exercise program Week Warm-up
1–8 1–4
Main exercise 5–8 Cool-down
1–8
Exercise content - Stretching, jogging Basic skill - Dribble, pass (chest, bound, side arm pass) - Shoot (jump & lay-up shoot) & rebound - Jump shoot after dribble, half-court game Repeat basic skill Advanced skill - Pivot, defense (man to man, zone), screen play - Formation, full court game - Stretching, jogging
Time (min)
Intensity (HRR)
10
20–40% 50–65%
50 65–80% 10
20–40%
HRR: hear rate reserve.
Metabolic syndrome is perceived as one of the most common health problems of today, and various research studies are in progress with multiple approaches to reduce it. In particular, the approach using physical activity and exercise is producing remarkable results. We compared and analyzed the changes in metabolic syndrome risk factors in male students in their 20s in relation to exercise and smoking. Our study offers an evaluation of the effects of these factors.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS The study subjects were 23 male students at K University based in Gunsan City, Jeollabuk-do Province, who did not have any medical history, understood the explanation of our study’s purpose, and voluntarily gave consent to participate. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kunsan National University. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: exercise smoker (n=6), non-exercise smoker (n=6), exercise non-smoker (n=6), and non-exercise non-smoker (n=5). Participants’ characteristics are shown in Table 1. Basketball is a representative aerobic exercise that is fun and induces interest in the players. It was chosen for the study program as it is easy to observe the effects of the exercise by varying the degree of exercise intensity. The exercise program was carried out 3 times a week for 8 weeks with each session lasting 70 minutes. The basketball exercise program took place at the outdoor basketball court of K University. The program focused on basic skills including dribbling, passing, and shooting. Warm-up exercises before the games and cool-down exercises were performed at every exercise session to prevent injuries and improve exercise functions. The target heart rate (THR) for this study was set at 50% to 80% of heart rate reserve (HRR), as suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine15), and the exercise intensity was increased according to exercise skills and level (Table 2). The subjects fasted from 10 pm on the night before the experiment, and a medical technologist at G Hospital in Gunsan City collected blood samples from the antebrachial vein. The samples were centrifuged and analyzed at the medical laboratory of G Hospital. Metabolic syndrome in this study was defined according to the standards suggested by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) in 200116) and was categorized into 5 metabolic syndrome indicators including fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure, and waist circumference (WC). All data collected from the experiment were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0, and the average and mean ± standard deviation were calculated for each variable. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to analyze differences in the metabolic syndrome indicators between groups, within groups, and before and after the exercise according to the aerobic exercise program participation of each group. The significance level for statistical testing was 0.05. J. Phys. Ther. Sci. Vol. 30, No. 4, 2018
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Table 3. Changes in systolic blood pressure according to the pretest and posttest results of each group Group
Pre (mean ± SD)
Post (mean ± SD)
119.5 ± 8.9 118.8 ± 10.9 125.2 ± 11.6 121.3 ± 10.9
117.8 ± 10.3 124.8 ± 11.3 105.7 ± 8.0 119.6 ± 7.1
Ex smoker Non Ex smoker ** SBP (mmHg) Ex Nonsmoker * Non Ex Nonsmoker Fgroup*time=10.61 (0.000)
SBP: systolic blood pressure, *p
