Doing outdoor sports in large cities has become risky because of fine particles. A study by the European Society of Cardiology even recently estimated that such a practice increases the risk of contracting cardiovascular disease by 30%. Matthieu Lecuyer, co-founder and managing director of the company R-Pur, details these risks and gives us solutions to minimize them.
Why Doctor – From what threshold of fine particles should we worry about our health?
Matthew Lecuyer – Today, all types of fine particles appear to be hazardous to health. We talk a lot about PM 2.5, which is the one we measure best. The rest is difficult to quantify because we don’t necessarily have the necessary devices to calculate the intensity of particles on a massive scale in large cities. For example, there are nanoparticles, the most harmful, which are so fine that they enter the lungs or the bloodstream and can cause irreversible damage. It is necessary to avoid as much as possible to let them enter the body. The problem is that we are not sufficiently equipped with measuring devices to know their exact presence.
More than one out of two children in large cities suffers, or will suffer later in life, from respiratory problems. We are just beginning to find the cause and most of the time, it appears that it is linked to pollution. Many people wonder why they have a lot of mucus, a burning throat or even headaches, but all of this is often the consequence of fine particles. These go so far as to cause cardiac arrest, which is today the leading cause of pollution-related mortality.
– Why does the health risk increase with the practice of physical activity?
When you are in full effort, you breathe up to 15 times more oxygen than when you are static, on the terrace for example. The organism is in constant lack of oxygen, therefore the pulmonary alveoli are more receptive to inhaling air for the body. This is when the danger increases, because fine particles enter the lungs even more easily. We are therefore 15 times more likely to have injuries following an effort in a polluted environment. Doing sport in the city is now more dangerous for your health than not doing it.
– Are there some activities that are more dangerous than others?
All activities require cardio, so whether it’s running or cycling, practitioners face the same danger. Today, people are encouraged to cycle in major cities, but cyclists are exposed to extreme levels of pollution from traffic.
For top athletes, the impact of pollution on their health is enormous. The more you are trained and your body is challenged, the greater the effects of pollution will be. An athlete must pay attention to what he eats, what he drinks but also what he breathes. In a while, I am convinced that we will see them running with specific masks to supply their bodies with pure energy if they want to continue training in the city, otherwise they will have to go elsewhere. The big stadiums are today next to the gates of the ring road in Paris and we see young people training there every day. There is a real awareness to be had. Air quality is ten times more deaths than Covid-19 today.
– How to limit the risk if you are in town?
We can first advise people to find out about the quality of the air and to adapt their activity according to pollution peaks. Mobile applications exist and take into account different parameters such as weather and hydrometry to calculate and anticipate future peaks. It is also necessary to stay away from polluted sites as much as possible. From heat maps are available online to find out where they are. You should avoid playing sports near airports, for example, the air quality there is very poor. Everyone must also take responsibility and consume less. We are all responsible for air pollution. We need to educate and everyone to reduce their general consumption to ensure that the air quality is the best for everyone.
Finally, we are developing a mask that optimizes performance in the face of pollution. It filters very fine particles (up to 40 nanometers), while allowing air to enter very easily. There is very little breathing resistance because the effort requires little resistance and comfort. It is a global innovation.
– Practicing indoor sports in a polluted city, is it dangerous?
It depends on several things. It is very important to ventilate but if you are next to a road axis, it brings in fine particles. But the risk is lower than outdoors since the organic compounds indoors are less fine and less harmful. If you practice sports indoors and after training you have an itchy throat or a little bitter taste, it means that the air is not good. Hindsight today is difficult to obtain, because very few rooms have an air quality tracking system. Schools are starting to use air purifiers that sense ambient air quality. The important thing is always to ventilate as much as possible.
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