We’re all familiar with swirling clouds of sweet-smelling scents wafting through the air. Vaping has become a widespread phenomenon and there are millions of young people breathing in vapours in a variety of flavors. According to the latest vaping stats, there has been a 1,800% increase in young people using e-cigarettes.
If so many people are doing it, it can’t be that bad, can it? Contrary to the common belief that vaping is a less harmful alternative to traditional smoking, there is mounting evidence to suggest that’s not the case.
While the long-term health consequences of vaping are not fully understood, vaping has been associated with harmful changes to blood vessels as well as lung inflammation and damage. It is believed that vaping reduces lung function and makes your heart beat faster, which disrupts healthy cardiovascular function. As a result it becomes harder to breathe and distribute oxygen throughout your body – and when you exercise it will feel more uncomfortable.
A 2024 study1 has confirmed that young people who vape perform worse in exercise tests. In fact, their exercise performance was on par with those who smoked!
“They found it harder to breath, their muscles became more fatigued, and they were less fit overall.”
The study involved young men in their twenties, all of whom had normal lung function – some didn't smoke or vape, some had been vaping for at least two years, and some had been smoking for at least two years. All of the men completed an incremental exercise test on an indoor cycle. This means they pedaled at increasing intensities, while researchers measured how their heart, lungs and muscles’ responded. Blood tests and ultrasounds were also used to assess how well their arteries were functioning.
Those who didn't vape or smoke had considerably higher ‘peak exercise capacity’ than those who vaped or smoked. And the vapers and smokers also showed signs that their blood vessels not working as effectively. These individuals were more out of breath, had more intense leg fatigue and greater levels of lactate in their blood (a sign of muscle fatigue), even before they reached their maximum level of exercise intensity.
Lead researcher Dr Azmy Faisal, explained that there were key differences with how their bodies coped with exercise. “They found it harder to breath, their muscles became more fatigued, and they were less fit overall.”
This study highlights how vaping makes exercise feel harder – and we know hard workouts can be off-putting. When exercise feels too hard, particularly in the early phases of an exercise journey, we are less likely to continue. And when we pull back on regular exercise, we lose out on so much. Regular exercise is key to protecting our mental wellness, managing stress, strengthening our muscles and bones, reducing disease risk, sleeping well and feeling happy.
We all need exercise in our lives – and if we ditch vaping we can make our sweat sessions so much more enjoyable.
1 “Detrimental effects of electronic cigarettes on vascular function and ventilatory efficiency during exercise”, by Azmy Faisal et al; Presented in session, “Exercise testing: what’s new in pulmonary physiology?” at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria on 8 September 2024.
