G University of Exeters research reveals that that changes in brain activity, triggered by physical exercise, G may help in reduction of cigarettes craving. This was published in the journal Psychopharmacology, this study shows how exercise change the way the brain process information among smokers, thereby reducing their cravings for nicotine. For the first time, researchers used fMRI to investigate how do the brain process images of cigarettes after exercise.

This study add weight to growing body of evidence that exercise can help to  manage addiction of nicotine and other substances.

G Ten regular smokers were asked to cycle at a moderate pace for ten minutes, G after 15 hours of abstinence from nicotine. They G were then given an fMRI scan while they viewed a series of 60 images. Some visuals featured cigarettes and would normally induce cravings in a smoker. On a second occasion, the same G group was given an fMRI scan and shown the same series of image without having hundertaken exercise. They were also asked to report on their cravings for nicotine during both phases of the study.

The brain images captured by the fMRI show a difference between the two conditions. After no exercise the smokers showed heightened activity in response to the images in areas of the brain associated with reward-processing and visual attention. After exercise the same areas of activation were not observed, which reflected a kind of ‘default mode’ in the brain. The smokers also reported lower cravings for cigarettes after exercise compared with when they had been inactive.

The researchers do not know exactly what causes the difference in brain activities following the exercise. One suggestion is that completing the exercise raises mood (possibly through increases in dopamine) which reduces the salience or importance of wanting a cigarette. Another possibility is that exercise causes a shift in blood flow to areas of the brain less involved in anticipation of reward and pleasure generated by smoking images.

Previous research by the University of Exeter has suggested that exercise can reduce nicotine cravings. Results from a series of studies show that smokers report reduced cigarette cravings after exercising. This study showed that exercise can reduce cravings when smokers are faced with images that have been previously shown to cause lapses in smokers trying to quit. This is the first time that anyone has investigated brain activity during this process.

Kate Janse Van Rensburg, a PhD student at the University of Exeter, lead author on the paper, said: “Our findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that exercise can help people give up smoking. This strengthens the argument that moderate exercise could be a viable alternative to many of the pharmaceutical products, such as nicotine patches, for people who want to give up smoking. A ten or fifteen minute walk, jog or cycle when times get tough could help a smoker kick the habit. There are of course many other benefits from a more active lifestyle including better fitness, weight loss and improved mood.”