Comparison of Physical Fitness among Smoker and Non-Smoker Men

Background: it is well documented that cigarette smoking has negative impacts on body health, as well as social health, economy, culture, etc. nowadays, there is a large body of evidence that smoking is the cause of numerous life-threatening diseases like cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases along with different kinds of cancer. the aim of this study was to compare the physical fitness of smokers and non smokers. methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 64 non-sportsmen (34 non-smokers and 30 smokers) aging 19–27 years. both groups were matched for age, weight, height and body mass index (bmi). the smokers used cigarettes at least 5 cigarettes a day for 2 years. none of them had a musculoskeletal disease. we used a questionnaire and physical fitness tests for data gathering. the tests were used to measure muscle strength, endurance, speed, agility and flexibility in both groups. findings: the muscle strength was significantly different in smokers and non-smokers (p = 0.012). moreover, smokers had less agility (p = 0.004) and speed (p = 0.008) than non-smokers. however, although smokers were weaker than non- smokers, the differences in muscle endurance (p = 0.066) and flexibility (p = 0.095) were not the statistically significant. conclusion: according to these results, the smokers were less powerful than nonsmokers. in addition, physical activity skills in young smokers were decreased. therefore, smoking will cause a gradual loss of physical strength and active personal and social power.