Background: There is evidence of smoking's negative impact and physical activity's positive impact on long-term health. However, evidences regarding the association between smoking and exercise activity and the independent effects of these factors on antioxidant defense are lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between smoking and the intermittent anaerobic exercise on the physical fitness, oxidant and antioxidant status in Judo player.
Methods: Twenty male Judo player student from Department of Physical Education Al- Azhar University were enrolled in the study. They were of 2 groups, Non-smokers (NS) and smokers (SM). Both groups were subjected to regular Judo training program (2 hours/day, 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks). Also, both groups were subjected to an effort test (running of submaximal intensity until exhaustion ) and record of the maximum oxygen capacity (VO2max) using an ergometric bicycle. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) were recorded and blood samples were taken pre and post-effort test for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA),total antioxidant capacity (TAC), uric acid (Ua) and lactate (La) in the plasma. Also the time to exhaustion was recorded during the effort test. These measures were performed pre and post the training program.
Results: At rest the pre-program data of SM showed significantly higher H.R., and plasma MDA ,and significantly lower TAC with tendency to increase in MBP and La levels, and decrease in VO2max, and Ua levels compared to NS. Before program and in response to acute exercise SM showed significantly higher H.R, MDA and La levels with significantly lower TAC, Ua and time to exhaustion compared to NS. On the other hand, after the program and in response to acute exercise, SM showed more pronounced significantly higher HR, MBP, MDA and La with significantly lower VO2max, time to exhaustion and TAC with insignificant changes in the Ua compared to the NS that showed significant increase in the Ua levels with insignificant changes in the MDA, TAC and the La levels in response to acute exercise. In response to the training program, SM showed significantly higher HR, MBP, MDA and La levels, with significantly lower VO2max, time to exhaustion, and TAC, and insignificant changes in the Ua levels compared to NS.
Conclusion: We conclude that cigarette smoking has a significant detrimental effects on cardiovascular fitness, physical endurance, TAC and lipid peroxidation that all worsened by the intermittent anaerobic exercise. On the contrary , this type of training is beneficial in nonsmokers. Also we demonstrated that smoking prevent the beneficial effects of exercise , so smoking should be avoided in Judo players. Smokers should be given strong encouragement to stop smoking and to improve physical fitness.