Immediate effects of single bouts of exercise on cravings to smoke: A systematic review of the literature

To review the acute effects of a single bout of exercise on withdrawal symptoms, cigarette cravings and smoking behavior during smoking cessation or temporal cigarette abstinence. A systematic review of articles published between December 1975 and December 2011. The review focused on studies that examined the acute effects of a single bout of exercise on urges to smoke and on withdrawal symptoms, compared to a passive control. Extracted and analyzed information of the articles included details about participants, mean abstinence period of cigarettes, characteristics of exercise and control condition, assessments, study design and outcomes. 23 of the 24 studies that compared the effects of an active and passive condition on cigarette cravings reported a significant reduction during and/or following exercise. Cigarette cravings were reduced with an exercise intensity as high as 60-80 % heart rate reserve (HRR), lasting 30 min., to as low as 24 % HRR, lasting 15 min., and also during and following isometric exercise, lasting 5 min. In 13 studies a decrease of withdrawal symptoms during and straight after exercise has been shown. Five studies reported a two- to threefold longer period of time to the next cigarette following exercise. In addition to that, 6 studies reported enhancement of mood and affect during and following exercise. Exercise should be recommended as a smoking cessation aid for regulation of cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and negative affect. Even short bouts of exercise could reduce cigarette consumption, while lowering health risk factors for those unwilling or unable to quit.