Those of us who live in Los Angeles have a saying; “We like to chew the air we breathe.” Yet, for those of us who run outside, it really isn’t all that funny. Experts say that during the very smoggy seasons (like summer, when the air quality is consistently poor) it's a good idea to take it inside. Aaach! Sorry guys, the treadmill just doesn’t work for us! So what should a road runner do? Runner’s World has some good information.

Understanding Air Pollution

Ozone – the main ingredient in what we commonly call smog forms when sunlight reacts with car and industrial emissions. As sunlight intensifies in the morning therefore, ozone levels increase. Ozone begins accumulating as the noon hour approaches and peaks around 3PM. After the sun sets, ozone is no longer formed and therefore decreases.

While running outside on a beautiful, sunny afternoon you might notice a burning sensation in your chest or a dry sore throat. This is because ozone irritates breathing passages and can actually decrease your lung’s working capacity by damaging the cell’s lining in the lungs themselves. In healthy lungs, damages cells are shed and replaced – however with repeated exposure the lungs can actually become permanently damaged (yikes!).

Carbon monoxide, the main component in car exhaust, interferes with your body’s ability to carry oxygen and forces the heart to pump harder. Other pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide irritate your eyes, constrict air passages and lower your body’s resistance to colds and other respiratory illnesses.

Reducing Your Exposure

According to the American Lung Association, athletes take in 20 times more air per minute while exercising and therefore, an athlete running outside is going to increase their exposure to pollutants by a measure of 20 times. Exercising for an hour in a moderate ozone level can reduce lung function and temporarily decrease the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity. Breathing through your mouth makes it worse, because you are essentially bypassing your body’s best defense against pollution – your nose.

To minimize your exposure and avoid potentially permanent damage, follow these simple rules:

1.     Schedule your runs either early in the morning or in the late evening (with a partner, please) – times when the ozone levels are at their lowest.

2.     Plan your route to avoid congested streets. Pollution levels are at their highest within 50 feet of roads.

3.     Check the ozone levels for your area. Levels over 100 should be avoided.

4.     Plan your workouts seasonally. If you normally run at lunch, you should shift to early morning or evening workouts in the smoggiest seasons (summer/fall).

5.     Increase your intake of foods rich in vitamin C & E, which have been shown to protect lungs from pollutants. Vitamin C stimulates liver enzymes that detoxify the body and help prevent free radical damage in the lungs. Vitamin E stabilizes membranes and protects against free radical damage.

6.     Take to the treadmill on hot, hazy days – seriously. These days are the worst.

If you do experience wheezing, coughing, a scratchy throat, headache, watery eyes or difficulty taking deep breaths, slow your pace. If slowing down doesn’t help – stop your workout and go inside immediately. For most runners, symptoms will stop immediately, but if you are constantly exposed to high levels of pollution, you may find that it takes a couple of days for symptoms to disappear. Take this seriously and remember, that just because the symptoms disappear, the problem has not gone away…pollution can continue to damage the lungs even when you don’t have any presenting symptoms.

Yet another good reason to set that alarm for 5:00 AM!

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Tags: air pollution, smog, training in pollution, lung damage, scratchy throat, urban running, city running, training