Running is hard enough as it is, from finding the right shoes to dodging traffic. But runners in one U.S. city are battling another foe — air pollution, which is causing symptoms like nausea and brain fog.
What's happening?
Denver has the worst air pollution in the country, and it's impacting the Colorado capital city's runners, according to the Guardian.
"The natural 'runner's high' that I — and scores of other Denver runners — pursue can be tainted when breathing deeply in polluted air, leaving my lungs heavy, throat scorched and head dizzy, like I just spent the last hour sucking on the tailpipe of a big-rig truck," Denver resident and runner Josiah Hesse wrote in an article for the publication.
Hesse says the bad air is a result of a number of factors, including wildfires, industry, and traffic jams. Another issue is a meteorological phenomenon known as the inversion effect — cold air on the ground gets trapped by a layer of warm air above it, preventing air pollution from escaping to the sky. The inversion effect impacts other major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Pittsburgh.
As a result of the accumulated smog in Denver, running often leaves Hesse with symptoms like sore throat, headache, dizziness, and brain fog. He also spoke with area runners, who lamented the idea of running inside on a treadmill, despite the danger.
"I don't think about air quality," Frank Anello, a Denver ultramarathon runner, told him. "I don't care. Nothing's gonna stop me from running."
Why is air pollution concerning for runners?
The symptoms felt by runners like Hesse are backed up by research. A number of studies have linked air pollution with negative effects on athletic performance. For instance, one paper found that training and competing at elevated pollution levels — even those within good-to-moderate Air Quality Index ratings — were associated with slower times.
Plus, air pollution is associated with health impacts like lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Meanwhile, other research suggests that air pollution could contribute to digestive system damage and dementia.
Air pollution is also bad news for the climate, as most of the common types of pollution are also heat-trapping greenhouse gases that contribute to the overheating of our planet. Highway vehicles alone release about 1.5 billion tons of this pollution each year, per the U.S. Department of Energy.
What can I do to protect myself as a runner?
The American Lung Association recommends limiting time outdoors if the Air Quality Index in your city is marked as "unhealthy" or worse. The organization also suggests staying away from high-traffic areas. Some alternatives to running outside include going to a gym or running on a home treadmill or indoor track.
Meanwhile, it's important that we limit pollution for the sake of our health and that of the planet. One way you can make a difference is by voting for climate-focused politicians. You can also limit the amount of heating pollution you contribute by signing up for community solar, riding public transit when possible, and investing in a heat pump.
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