Acute Effect of Resistance Exercise on Mucociliary Clearance in Active Smokers

Abstract

Background: Nasal mucociliary clearance (NMC) responds to autonomic activity through exercise. However, there is a gap in the literature on how NMC responds to resistance exercise. Objective: To evaluate the acute effects of resistance tube exercise on NMC and the autonomic nervous system in smokers. Methods: Clinical trial was performed with 18 individuals. Personal, anthropometric, and smoking history data were collected, and a pulmonary function test was performed by spirometry. The fatigue resistance test was performed in order to obtain the number of repetitions for the prescription of exercise. Heart rate variability was captured using a monitor. Subsequently, the exhaled carbon monoxide (exCO) was measured and a saccharin transit test (STT) was performed for NMC. Results: The non-smoking group presented a significant decrease of 4.0±3.2 minutes in STT after P1 (p=0.021). Regarding HRV, the smoking group presented a significant decrease of mean RR (-90.3±53.0; p=0.011), SDNN (-560.0±1333.2; p=0.008), RMSSD (-13.6±10.5; p=0.011), LFms² (-567.3±836.1; p=0.008), HFms² (-223.8±231.8; p=0.008), SD1 (-9.7±7.4; p=0.011) and SD2 (-20.7±17.0; p=0.008), and an increase of mean HR (10.2±5.9; p=0.011) after P2. In the non-smoking group, a significant decrease was observed in the mean RR (-67.1±70.7; p=0.038), SDNN (-16.8±15.0; p=0.015), RMSSD (-12.3±14.7; p=0.011), LFms² (-831.2±1347.5; p=0.015), SD1 (-8.7±10.4; p=0.011), and SD2 (-22.0±19.1; p=0.015), while an increase in HR (7.1±7.3; p=0.028) was found after P1. Conclusions: The intensity of the resistance exercise applied to the patient was not enough to promote changes in smokers. By contrast, in non-smokers, the same intensity of exercise was effective in promoting alterations in the NMC and autonomic activity. (Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2021; 34(2):223-230)