Group Advises Athletes to Pay Attention to Air Quality –
Whether They’re in Beijing or Los Angeles
SAN DIEGO – April 11, 2008
As the world’s top athletes condition their bodies for the summer Olympics in Beijing, China on August 8 – 24, 2008, they’ll also be thinking about the air they’ll breathe. Although Beijing has been mentioned in the press for its poor air quality, athletes and the active public in polluted and heavily congested cities are equally at risk, says the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA).
Beijing’s State Environmental Protection Administration has said that the city’s air quality will meet safe standards for the 600 U.S. Olympic athletes and hundreds more from around the world.
Olympians aren’t the only ones at risk.
“Air quality isn’t just a Beijing issue,” says Kelly Berardini, a CATA spokesperson and certified athletic trainer at Chapman University in Orange County. “Everyday athletes here at home don’t have the convenience of such immediate, critical attention to pollution.”
The CATA advises athletes in the nation’s most polluted cities –like Los Angeles, Houston, New York and Philadelphia (according to a 2007 American Lung Association annual air quality report card) –to pay special attention to where and when they train.
“Athletes can’t acclimatize to pollution,” says Jason Roe, certified athletic trainer formerly with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Water Polo Team. “I’ve heard of professional athletes who want to practice in polluted areas to condition their bodies in preparation for competition. All they are doing is building up toxins in their bodies that will affect their performance over time.”
Experts with the California Athletic Trainers’ Association offer the following tips for athletes of every level to stay healthy when the air quality isn’t:
- Time workouts. Athletes need to train in the healthiest environment possible. That means practicing in the early morning or later in the afternoon – when the air is less dense and avoiding the morning and evening commutes.
- Take workouts inside. Athletes whose sports require them to be outside, such as track and field and baseball, are advised to head indoors during peak smog hours to do weight training, stretching or other activities.
- Keep exposure to a minimum. Frequent exposure to pollution can infect the body with dangerous pollutants that can affect performance over time. The nose acts as a natural air filter. But athletes often breathe through their mouth, taking in two times as much unfiltered air – meaning greater exposure to toxins. If athletes must exercise outdoors, keep a safe distance from exhaust-emitting cars and try to breathe through the nose.
- Monitor air quality. Anyone anywhere can monitor their city’s air quality online. Visit http://airnow.gov/ to sign up for daily air quality news alerts to stay on top of the day’s smog forecast.
- Pay attention to symptoms. Abnormal wheezing, coughing, sneezing and sniffling can be warning signs of exercise-induced asthma often caused by prolonged exposure to polluted air. A certified athletic trainer or physician can administer a pulmonary function test (PFT) to monitor breathing response and track any lung damage.
- Asthma and COPD cautions. Pollution poses a serious risk for athletes with respiratory problems, like asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) –increasing the chance of an asthma attack or worse, acute infections. Follow inhaler directions carefully before heading out and avoid peak pollution hours.
- Mask it. If athletes feel more comfortable wearing a mask during peak smog hours, the CATA recommends an activated carbon filter mask (ACF). They are more effective at filtering pollutants than a common surgical face mask.
“Whether you’re a professional athlete or recreational sports enthusiast, air quality is a concern,” said Berardini. “As athletic trainers, we are responsible for ensuring our athletes and the active public remains healthy and injury-free. Paying attention to the air is just one of our responsibilities.”
Certified athletic trainers are physical medicine experts accountable for every aspect of an athlete’s health. They specialize in the clinical diagnosis of acute and chronic injuries and illnesses, on-site emergency care, rehabilitation and other health care services. They work at high schools, colleges, major corporations, with professional sports teams, and in clinics and hospitals.
About the California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA)
The California Athletic Trainers’ Association (http://www.cata-usa.org) represents and supports 2,200 members of the athletic training profession through communication and education.
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