The association between parameters of physical activity and olfaction function -The importance of frequency and moderate intensity Provisionally Accepted

Khoosheh Namiranian¹ Alexandre-Charles Gauthier¹ Jo-Anne Gilbert¹ Marie-Eve Mathieu^1*

• ¹Montreal University, Canada

Introduction: Overall physical activity (PA) has been linked to decreased olfactory dysfunction and could improve olfactory function. Also, decreased olfactory function can contribute to reduced overall PA levels, given its association with neurodegenerative disorders. This study examined the relationship between detailed PA parameters (duration, frequency, intensity) and olfactory function in adults. Methods: 3,527 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 were assessed for weekly PA duration, frequency, and intensity, and their sense of smell was tested (chocolate, strawberry, grape, onion, smoke, natural gas, leather, soap). Correlations and binary logistic regressions on SPSS TM were used to evaluate associations. Results: Total smell score showed small and positive significant correlations with the duration, frequency, and volume of moderate PA (coefficients of correlation ranging between 0.05 and 0.08; all p≤ 0.05) and frequency of vigorous PA (coefficient of correlation of 0.05; p<0.05). For moderate PA, the duration, frequency, and volume were significantly and positively associated with the chance of correctly detecting the smell of grapes while the frequency was significantly and positively associated with the capacity to identify smoke and leather odors (odds ratios ranging from 1.01 to 1.07; p<0.05). For vigorous PA, the frequency of PA was positively associated with the detection of grape smell (odds ratio of 1.05; p<0.05).Some parameters of an active lifestyle are associated with improved odds of accurately identifying smells by up to 7.4%. Moderate PA duration, frequency, and volume were linked to better olfactory scores, while high-intensity PA had limited associations.