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Impact of air pollution on running performance
Marika Cusick1, Sebastian T Rowland2,3, Nicholas DeFelice4,5
1Department of Health Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. mmcusick@stanford.edu.
Scientific Reports
|February 1, 2023
Summary
Air pollution negatively impacts running performance. Even moderate levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone exposure significantly increase track athletes' race times, highlighting the need for pollution reduction strategies during training.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Sports Science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Air pollution is a growing concern for public health and athletic performance.
- Previous research has explored the health effects of air pollution, but its specific impact on running performance is less understood.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for optimizing training and competition environments for athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between exposure to specific air pollutants and running race times in collegiate track and field athletes.
- To analyze the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and Air Quality Index (AQI) on athletic performance.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for mitigating air pollution's negative effects on athletes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 334 male collegiate track and field athletes across 46 US universities (2010-2014).
- Employed distributed lag non-linear models to assess the association between race times and air pollutant exposures (PM2.5, ozone, AQI) up to 21 days prior to races.
- Examined various metrics of air pollution, including individual pollutants and different Air Quality Index calculations.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in race times were observed with elevated PM2.5 (12.8 seconds) and ozone (11.5 seconds) exposure over 21 days.
- These effects were noted even at pollution levels classified as 'good' to 'moderate' by the AQI.
- Summed two-pollutant AQI showed a similar association with slower race times (12.4 seconds), while the two-pollutant threshold AQI did not yield significant results.
Conclusions:
- Training and competing in environments with elevated air pollution levels are associated with decreased running performance.
- Air pollution, even within generally accepted safe limits, can impair athletic capabilities.
- Coaches and athletes should consider air quality when planning training and competition schedules to minimize performance decrements.
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