Exercise and air pollution

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Abstract
Will the air quality in Los Angeles be a matter of concern for athletes participating in the 1984 Olympics? This question and corollaries of it are being asked with increasing frequency as the time of the Olympics nears. This review identifies the major pollutants that have been shown to produce physiological changes which can and may effect athletic performance. Ozone is the major contaminant of Los Angles air which in recent times has received major research interest. Specifically, ozone has been documented as a potent airway irritant capable of initiating its effects at concentrations as low as 0.30 ppm. Recent evidence indicates that, when integrated with the sustained high ventilation volumes of the elite athlete, ozone's airway constrictive effect is manifest at concentrations of 0.20 ppm. The effect of ozone causes an increase in breathing rate and a decrease in tidal volume for a given workload along with substernal pain. At the current ambient levels it is unlikely that sulphur dioxide will affect athletic performance. However, asthmatics appear more susceptible to the sulphur dioxide induced bronchoconstriction at levels of less than 1.0 ppm. These effects can be inhibited by prior administration of cromolyn sodium. Finally, carbon monoxide has, by reason of its binding capacity to haemoglobin, a significant and predictably linear effect on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and exercise performance. It is well known that the level of blood carboxyhaemoglobin is time, duration and concentration dependent. When blood carboxyhaemoglobin is increased, maximal performance is reduced and cognitive performance measures, such as attention, decline. It is concluded that if the summer Olympic Games are carried out during a time of significantly high pollutant levels, endurance performance will be most affected, while little is known of the effects of pollutants on sprint or power type field events.