Relationship Between Cigarette Smoking and Muscle Strength in Japanese Men

OBJECTIVES To investigate the link between cigarette smoking and muscle strength in Japanese men. METHODS We used data on 4249 Japanese men, aged 43.3±13.9 years, in this cross-sectional investigation study. Grip strength and leg strength were measured as indicators of overall muscle strength. Meanwhile, subjects' cigarette smoking habits were recorded by trained medical staff. The effect of cigarette smoking on muscle strength was evaluated. RESULTS A total of 1618 men (38.1%) were smokers and 1481 men (34.9%) exercised regularly. Significant differences in muscle strength were noted between men with and without a Brinkman index of 400 or greater, after adjusting for age. After adjusting for age, height, body weight and exercise habits, associations between the Brinkman index and leg strength and the ratio of leg strength to body weight were attenuated. CONCLUSIONS Cigarette smoking might be negatively associated with muscle strength, especially grip strength in Japanese men.