Comparison of VO2max Between Smokers/Vapers and Non-Smokers/Non-Vapers
Session Title
Health and Wellness 1
College
College of Education
Department
Physical Education, Sport & Human Performance
Abstract
VO2 max is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen that our body can take in and use during exercise. Due to the popularity of vaping and high smoking rates in college-aged adults, it is important to analyze and evaluate how these factors affect the VO2max of those individuals that engage in smoking/vaping with those that do not. Subject criteria will include being between the ages of 18 and 26 and must be enrolled at Winthrop University, with four of the eight individuals smoking/vaping. Variables measured during this study include heartrate, distance, and VO2max. To measure these variables, we will be administering the Cooper 12-Minute Run/Walk test, which is a maximal test, on a treadmill in the lab, taking heartrate at several intervals before, during, and after the test. The results of our study indicated that the individuals who smoked/vaped had a slightly higher average VO2max score (37.86 ml/kg/min) than the non-smokers/non-vapers (34.86 ml/kg/min). Heartrate was similar between the two groups, however, the non-smokers/non-vapers group were able to get closer to their average predicted heartrate max than the vapers/smokers. The smokers/vapers ran a further distance than the non-smokers/non-vapers. Though our hypothesis was not supported by our results, the results obtained indicated that there is a decreased aerobic fitness level among our participants. Based on the findings of our study, it is our hope that we can encourage college students, whether they smoke/vape or do not smoke/vape, to regularly engage in physical activity in order to improve their overall physical fitness.
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
Comparison of VO2max Between Smokers/Vapers and Non-Smokers/Non-Vapers
VO2 max is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen that our body can take in and use during exercise. Due to the popularity of vaping and high smoking rates in college-aged adults, it is important to analyze and evaluate how these factors affect the VO2max of those individuals that engage in smoking/vaping with those that do not. Subject criteria will include being between the ages of 18 and 26 and must be enrolled at Winthrop University, with four of the eight individuals smoking/vaping. Variables measured during this study include heartrate, distance, and VO2max. To measure these variables, we will be administering the Cooper 12-Minute Run/Walk test, which is a maximal test, on a treadmill in the lab, taking heartrate at several intervals before, during, and after the test. The results of our study indicated that the individuals who smoked/vaped had a slightly higher average VO2max score (37.86 ml/kg/min) than the non-smokers/non-vapers (34.86 ml/kg/min). Heartrate was similar between the two groups, however, the non-smokers/non-vapers group were able to get closer to their average predicted heartrate max than the vapers/smokers. The smokers/vapers ran a further distance than the non-smokers/non-vapers. Though our hypothesis was not supported by our results, the results obtained indicated that there is a decreased aerobic fitness level among our participants. Based on the findings of our study, it is our hope that we can encourage college students, whether they smoke/vape or do not smoke/vape, to regularly engage in physical activity in order to improve their overall physical fitness.
