In 1868, author James Parton described Pittsburgh as “hell with the lid off”, in reference to the poor air quality due to the numerous smoke-spewing mills operating at the time. America’s most livable city may not be the Smoky City anymore, but that doesn’t mean that ours is the best air to breathe - let alone run in. That’s why I think the following article at Complete Running Network should be read by Pittsburgh’s runners.

A Bad Air Day

“…Air quality has been a problem for many decades, and the recent emphasis on global warming is again bringing the issue to the forefront. But it seems the air we breathe—and that runners suck in enthusiastically—is worse when the dog days of summer hit. Some days it feels like you’re inhaling oven fumes; others, it’s like every malodorous molecule in, say, cigarette smoke or a scared skunk hangs heavier in the stagnant air that often accompanies oppressive humidity.”

[…]

“The risk of exposure exists regardless of where you live in most developed nations, but it’s typically more dangerous for those who run close to traffic, such as car-friendly urban areas or rural communities along heavily traveled highways.”

The article gives some advice on how runners can protect their lungs and links to more. This next article provides some more details and athletes’ anecdotes regarding pollution’s effects on health and performance.

Air pollution holds risks for athletes who exercise outdoors

“Air pollution is increasingly on the minds of many athletes, especially those with outdoor workouts. Concerns about air quality in cities, climate change, automobile emissions and other environmental issues have driven a recent boom in studies of air pollution’s medical effects. Most studies have not used exercisers as subjects, but their results have implications for exercisers, who breathe with particular vigor and oomph.”

On the Internet, fitness chat rooms resound with worried postings about air quality. As one cyclist wrote on SoCalCycling.com, ‘During the summer months, I have to ride in the morning and be home no later than 11, otherwise I will feel miserable and cough all day long.’”

If you’d like to know what Pittsburgh’s air quality is before your next run, check out the forecast at AIRNow.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 at 8:29 am and is filed under Health and Fitness, Tips and Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.