How air quality affects runners

While training and nutrition are key to a runner's preparation, external factors like air quality also play a crucial role in performance, especially when aiming for personal bests (PB).

Air quality has long been a concern for outdoor sports, prompting a team of researchers to analyze data on how particulate matter affects marathon completion times. Their findings indicate that high concentrations of particulate matter lead to slower marathon times for both men and women.

Researchers at Brown University in the U.S. studied the relationship between air pollution caused by fine particles (smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter) and marathon times. They analyzed data from over 2.5 million runners in nine major marathons, including the Boston and Los Angeles marathons, held in the U.S. from 2003 to 2019.

Poor air quality will affect the performance of runners. Photo by Den Hung Spirituality Marathon

The results showed that fine particulate matter slowed marathon completion times by 32 seconds for men and 25 seconds for women. The study also found that elite runners were more affected by poor air quality than casual runners.

Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and other areas in the Northeast were especially impacted, according to NBC News. New York's Air Quality Index (AQI) at times exceeded 340, making it one of the worst cities globally due to smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada.

The AQI, which ranges from 0 to 500, is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to measure air pollution and health risks. The higher the AQI, the more significant the pollution and associated health concerns.

Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary specialist at the American Lung Association, warned that running outdoors when the AQI exceeds 150 can be risky. He compared it to "swimming in polluted water." He explained that after about 20 minutes of running, you may experience symptoms like coughing, dry throat, and difficulty breathing due to inhaling toxic substances, ESPN reported.

To mitigate these risks, Galiatsatos recommended that runners wear tight-fitting masks or opt for indoor exercise with an air purifier when air quality is poor.

As cited on Advisory Board, Dr. Aida Capo, a pulmonologist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, suggested avoiding strenuous outdoor exercise when air quality is poor and running in areas with less traffic to reduce exposure to pollution.