High‑intensity exercise program to help adults with high anxiety sensitivity quit smoking
Official title: Efficacy and implementation of exercise-based smoking cessation treatment for adults with high anxiety sensitivity
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11115867 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a supervised high‑intensity exercise program to help adult smokers who are especially sensitive to anxiety symptoms quit smoking and reduce withdrawal and craving.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | July 3, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273221-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11115867 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult smokers (21 years or older) who report high anxiety sensitivity and are willing and able to participate in a 15‑week high‑intensity exercise program while trying to quit.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not smoke, have low anxiety sensitivity, or who cannot safely perform high‑intensity exercise due to medical limitations are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join a program for adult smokers who have high anxiety sensitivity that pairs a 15‑week high‑intensity exercise regimen with smoking‑cessation support. The team will enroll adults, deliver on‑site exercise sessions, and track smoking status, anxiety sensitivity, withdrawal, craving, and mood over time. Researchers will also study how the program can be delivered in real‑world settings so clinics or community centers could offer it. The goal is to see if exercise both helps people stop smoking and can be implemented broadly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help smokers with high anxiety sensitivity quit more often and reduce anxiety, withdrawal, and cravings.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier phase I/II work by the team showed promising results that high‑intensity exercise can lower anxiety sensitivity and nicotine withdrawal, but this larger implementation effort will test effectiveness and delivery more broadly.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smits, Jasper — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Smits, Jasper
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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This project uses a smartphone to track sleep and smoking in lower-income adults trying to quit to find how sleep patterns relate to staying smoke-free.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.