Researchers from Finland suggest smoking during pregnancy may impact the aerobic fitness of male offspring later in life.

The team assessed the aerobic fitness of 508 men with an average age of 19 through a 12-minute running test, known as the Cooper test. The researchers also gathered data on the smoking status of participants’ mothers during pregnancy, as well mothers’ pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and weight gain during pregnancy.

The team found men whose mothers smoked during pregnancy demonstrated lower aerobic fitness on the running test than those whose mothers did not smoke.