The Relationship Between Smoking Habits and Cardiorespiratory Capacity (VO₂max) in Adult Males

Abstract

Background: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) is an indicator of 
cardiorespiratory fitness that reflects the body’s ability to consume oxygen during  physical activity, expressed in mL/kg/min. A higher VO₂max value is associated with better physical fitness and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. VO₂max can be measured using the Bleep Test, which is performed through a shuttle run following audio beeps. VO₂max is influenced by various factors such as age, sex, genetics, lifestyle, and smoking habits. Harmful substances in smoking can damage the alveoli in the lungs, reducing the effectiveness of oxygen exchange and decreasing oxygen supply to muscles, which leads to reduced cardiorespiratory  capacity. Smoking habits can be measured using the Glover–Nilsson Smoking Behavioral Questionnaire (G-NSBQ), which has good validity and reliability. Previous studies have shown a significant relationship between smoking habits and VO₂max; however, most were conducted on adolescent or athletic populations with limited sample sizes and without controlling confounding factors. Therefore, this study is important to analyze the relationship between smoking habits and cardiorespiratory capacity (VO₂max) in adult males to provide more representative empirical evidence in the general population. Objective: To analyze the relationship between smoking habits and cardiorespiratory capacity (VO₂max) in adult males. Research Design: An observational analytic study with a crosssectional design. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 27. Results: The normality test using the Shapiro-Wilk  test showed that the GNSBQ data were normally distributed, while the VO₂max  measurement data were not normally distributed. The correlation test results showed a Spearman correlation coefficient of −0.32, indicating a moderate  correlation. The negative sign indicates an inverse relationship between the two variables, meaning that the higher the smoking habit score, the lower the cardiorespiratory capacity. The significance value was p = 0.027 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant relationship between smoking habits and cardiorespiratory  capacity. Conclusion: There is a relationship between smoking habits and cardiorespiratory capacity (VO₂max) in adult males.