The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Smoking of tobacco, by its properties, is a medical and social problem. This habit favours increase of illnesses and death rates from illnesses of cardio-vascular system, respiratory and other systems. Stopping of smoking causes abstinence symptoms, which are greater obstacles to the others than to the person himself. The purpose of this study is that through research of differences of two groups of people: one of smokers and another one of non-smokers, to verify differences that smoking causes in some physiological functional skills, during the period of rest, during sub-maximum physical efforts and during recovery.

Methods: The research method of two groups was used: non-smokers' group (77 entities) and smokers' group (73 entities). The submaximal effort was conducted with Astrand's test. During the test, the frequency of heartbeats, the respiration frequency, blood saturation with oxygen, absolute and relative maximal oxygen uptake was measured. The measurement was carried out during rest, during the sub-maximal test and during recovery.

Results: Whereas the basic statistical parameters show systematic differences between the two groups in all values, the T-test proved differences between the two above-mentioned groups in the frequency of heartbeats while resting, the frequency of respiration during the second minute of recovery and in saturation of blood with oxygen in the period of rest, in the 6th minute of the test and in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th minute of recovery. Through discriminative analysis significant differences were proved in the measured values.