RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Even a short run near a busy road exposes your body to harmful contaminants, according to a British Journal of Sports Medicine study published online recently.
THE DETAILS: British researchers checked the blood levels of 10 recreational athletes who regularly exercised before and after they ran for 20 minutes at their own pace along a busy, four-lane roadway. They measured levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pollutants produced in car exhaust, and found that all of the runners had increased levels of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene after their short run. The spike was higher in the runners than it was in people who bused or biked a similar trip in a previous study.
WHAT IT MEANS: Previous studies have focused on contaminants breathed in by elite cyclists exercising for much longer periods of time. But this study suggests that even the average exerciser could be taking in harmful fumes.
Here’s how you can get the exercise you need without breathing in high levels of air pollution:
• Find a park. Whenever possible, trade in jogs alongside busy roads for a run in a nearby park. If you can’t get to a green space, try jogging on side streets with less traffic.
• Be an early bird. You can still run often, just run early, when traffic—and pollution—is lighter. It might be a drag getting out of bed, but the cleaner air, less crowded streets, and morning choir of birds will make it worth the effort.
• Familiarize yourself with the forecast. During heat waves, downtown areas are warmer than surrounding suburbs because of the heat-island effect (more pavement and dark roofs hold more heat). As temperatures creep up, so does ground-level ozone, which cranks up pollution. Visit AIRNow to check air quality reports in your area before lacing up your running shoes in hot weather.
• When it’s really bad…seek out a treadmill at home or at the gym. Consider joining a gym that offsets its energy use, or buy a self-propelled treadmill to save energy. If treadmills don’t do it for you, look into buying a used spin bike that won’t need electricity to work your legs on high-pollution days.
• Eat to keep pollution at bay. Eating certain vegetables and legumes can protect your body against pollution and the damaging effects of the sun, two threats that runners may encounter every day. Load up your diet with plenty of hummus, black beans, lentils, and antioxidant-rich vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, celery, eggplant, onion, and spinach.