Q: I am 45 and an outdoor exerciser in Boulder. I hike the foothills in the evenings three times a week and ride my bike around town most other days. I’ve sensed that my lung capacity hasn’t been up to snuff and wonder if sucking down pollution/ozone while exercising is affecting me.
– J.W., Boulder
A: It is somewhat of a “Catch-22” in our modern, polluted world: Please exercise, but be careful about breathing when doing it. During certain times of the year, and at certain times of the day, pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, soot, dust, aerosols, smoke and so forth are swirling around at high levels. Precautions should be taken.
The most common complaint from urban outdoor exercisers is irritation of the upper respiratory tract, which can cause coughing, wheezing and, in extreme cases, shortness of breath. Exercising in high traffic areas, where the carbon monoxide emissions are highest, can bind the cells, thus reducing the cells’ capacity to carry oxygen. High ozone levels (0.3 to 0.45 parts per million) can cause eye irritation, decrease pulmonary function and even make you nauseated. Particulates in the air, such as smoke and dust, can settle into the lungs and cause congestion and irritation.
Especially in the “ozone season” of about June through September, avoid exercising during the rush hours, especially along roadways. Pollution can be too high, even when you are as much as 50 feet from the roadway.
Second, be aware of local government warnings regarding air quality and adjust your activity accordingly. The combination of high temperatures, high humidity and dangerous air pollution levels can be extremely distressing to the pulmonary system.
Third, since the effects of pollution depend on how much time you spend and how intensely you exercise in this sort of environment, minimize the amount of time you exercise in excessively polluted areas.
Finally, be aware that breathing through the mouth instead of the nose allows more particulate pollution to enter the lungs. “Nose hairs remove large particles and highly soluble gases very effectively (e.g., 99.9 percent of inhaled sulfur dioxide is removed by the nose), but smaller particles and agents with low solubility pass easily,” writes Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, in a recent edition of ACE Certified News. The amount of ultrafine particulates inhaled through the mouth during even moderate exercise can be about five times more than when you’re at rest.
Other preventive measures include a diet high in antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E, selenium, manganese, zinc, lycopene, green tea and citrus bioflavonoids), and the use of a mask to filter out particulates.
Linda Buch, ACE-certified exercise specialist, will respond to fitness questions in her weekly column but not individually. Send questions to Body Language, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 or e-mail her at LJBalance@aol.com.
