Acute effect of isometric exercise on desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

A brief bout of aerobic exercise (e.g. stationary bicycle) has been shown to result in an acute reduction in tobacco withdrawal symptoms and cravings in abstinent smokers. However, aerobic exercise is often not practical and it is of interest to examine whether non-aerobic exercise has a similar effect. We investigated whether isometric exercise (involving muscular contractions against resistance without movement, e.g. placing the palms of the hands together and pushing) reduces desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal symptoms. Following overnight abstinence smokers were randomized to 5-min of: isometric exercises (n = 20), body scanning (focusing attention on sensations in different areas of the body, n = 20, control), or sitting passively (n = 20, control). Desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal symptoms ('irritable', 'depressed', 'stressed', 'tense', 'restless' and 'poor concentration') were rated at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-min post-intervention. Isometric exercise produced a significantly greater reduction in desire to smoke versus passive control at immediate post-intervention and 5-min post-intervention, relative to baseline (p < 0.05). Most withdrawal symptoms were significantly moderated by exercise versus controls at some point between 5- to 20-min post-intervention, relative to baseline (p < 0.05). Brief isometric exercise has potential for offering immediate relief from a desire to smoke.