Because I am a athlete (volleyball is my sport), I know of at least one of my teammates that has asthma. I am curious about how athletes are affected by air pollution, especially since about 80% of teenagers play a sport, and 51% say they have played on a school team in the past year. Today, with air pollution constantly getting worse, we have to be (more) mindful of our environment, especially those of us who are athletes. Athletes and people who workout a lot are more at risk than others. Air pollution (indoor & outdoor) is very threatening to our health. About 1.5 million people die each year, due to problems linked to indoor air pollution alone.

What Is Air Pollution?

Air pollution is the presence of contaminants or pollutant substances in the air that interfere with human health and also damage the ozone layer. Air pollution comes from many different places such as: Factories, power plants, dry cleaners, cars and trucks. Smoke and fumes exhausted from restaurants as well. Air pollutants found in most urban areas are carbon monoxides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and hydrocarbons.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among teens and young children. About 9 million teens have asthma. And African Americans and people who live in urban areas are more at risk than anybody else. During physical activity deeper breaths are usually taken, carrying pollutants farther into the lungs. Exhaust from vehicles can irritate the lungs, work their way through the bloodstream, and eventually damage the heart. Air pollution can cause respiratory illnesses such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. Ozone, which comes mainly from car emissions causes the smooth muscles surrounding a persons airways to constrict. Scientists haven’t done much research, but air pollution could make it impossible to break any world records.

This picture is of a regular bronchi (on the right) and on the left is a bronchi that has asthma.

What Is Indoor Air Pollution?

When people think about air pollution they generally think about emission from cars, from factories etc, but there is a such thing as indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution is chemical, physical, or biological contaminants in indoor air.
Indoor air pollution is caused by having poor air circulation, and being exchanged with outdoor air. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), from paints, photocopiers and scents for soaps and shampoos. Indoor air quality can also be affected by poor ventilation, and chemical off gassing from furniture, paint and cleaning products.

Cleaners and cigarettes are two common indoor air pollutants

How Is Indoor Air Pollution Dangerous To Athletes?

Indoor air pollution can be up to ten times more dangerous than outdoor air pollution. Why? Because most Americans spend the majority of their time inside, and because indoor air is being constantly recirculated it can become more concentrated with pollutants than outdoor air. Even for athletes, because many sports are inside sports. Indoor air that is poorly circulated and being exchanged with outdoor air can contain emissions from thousands of plastics and petroleum (such as gas etc). A polluted arena can give athletes headaches, asthmatic problems and dizziness, effecting their performance in a negative way.

How Can Athletes Protect Themselves From Air Pollution?

There is no way to completely protect yourself from air pollution, but there are a few ways you can lower the air pollution levels in your life. One way is to not exercise outside, especially when air pollution levels are high. You can also change your bedding frequently and try not to use as many chemical house cleaners (such as pine-sol, amonia, and windex etc.)

To see how Air pollution can cause Global Warming check out the video at this link

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Global Warming or: None like It Hot