Regularly using e-cigarettes could be as detrimental to fitness levels as smoking traditional cigarettes, particularly for young adults, according to a new study from Manchester Metropolitan University. The research found that healthy young adults who vaped experienced breathlessness during exercise to a similar extent as smokers, and exhibited comparable levels of overall fitness and blood vessel damage.
The study suggests that the increasing normalization of vaping, with an estimated 5.5 million people in Britain currently vaping, may be introducing significant health risks across the population. These findings align with previous research published last month, which indicated that switching from traditional cigarettes to vapes might not substantially reduce the risk of lung cancer. That study, by South Korean scientists, found that individuals who swapped to vaping were significantly more likely to develop and die from lung cancer compared to ex-smokers who quit entirely.
Last year, the number of people vaping in Britain surpassed the number of cigarette smokers for the first time. While both cigarettes and vapes deliver nicotine, they do so through different mechanisms. Cigarettes involve burning tobacco, releasing thousands of chemicals including tar and carbon monoxide. Vapes, on the other hand, use a battery-powered device to heat a nicotine-containing liquid into an inhalable aerosol, and are believed to contain fewer chemicals.
The NHS guidance states that vaping is less harmful than smoking but acknowledges that it is not completely harmless and its long-term effects remain unknown.
The Manchester Metropolitan University study involved 75 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 30 with no prior history of heart or lung disease and normal lung function. Participants were divided into three equal groups: 25 vapers, 25 smokers, and 25 who had never smoked or vaped. The vapers and smokers had used their respective nicotine products for at least 18 months. All groups maintained similar lifestyles regarding physical activity and alcohol intake.
Participants underwent a cycling fitness test that gradually increased in difficulty. Researchers monitored breathing, heart function, oxygen use, blood lactate levels, and breathlessness. The results showed that young vapers and smokers performed nearly identically on almost every test when compared to non-users. Vapers demonstrated a 42% lower blood vessel function score than non-smokers, while smokers scored 44% lower, indicating compromised blood flow during exercise. Both the vaping and smoking groups had fitness levels approximately 15% lower than the non-smokers, based on oxygen utilization during cycling, and tired more quickly.
Dr. Azmy Faisal, the study's lead author, stated that the research indicates vaping can lead to harmful changes in blood vessels and lung efficiency during exercise, resulting in an approximate 15% reduction in fitness compared to non-nicotine users.
Concerns over the rising popularity of e-cigarettes have led to policy changes in the UK, including a nationwide ban on disposable vapes implemented last June and the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which prohibits vaping for individuals under 18. Polling for the charity Action on Smoking and Health revealed that nearly one in five children aged 11 to 17 in Britain has tried vaping.
Researchers plan to conduct MRI scans to further investigate the specific effects of vaping on the heart, lungs, and muscles, and how these changes impact overall fitness.