Sports in Air Polluted Areas Could Be Harmful for Health Shows Study

If there are high levels of particulate matter, outdoor sports can impair the cardiovascular system. This is now shown by a study from South Korea.

A recent study shows that physical exercise promotes health with moderate levels of particulate matter, while sport has the opposite effect and harms the cardiovascular system with higher air pollution levels.

"What is special about the study is that it is the first to indicate a threshold for particulate matter pollution, above which it is detrimental to the heart and circulatory system to do sports outside," say scientists who study the matter.

Fine dust gets into the blood through the alveoli and can thus cause chronic inflammation, arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. The smallest particles of fine dust can even cross the blood-brain barrier and trigger inflammation in the brain.

The EU's fine dust limit values ​​are very close to the range in which, according to the study, physical activity outdoors is already harmful to the cardiovascular system. 

In some countries, the limit values ​​are even exceeded in Germany, for example in high industrial areas.

Whether or not outdoor sports are recommended depends on the local environmental pollution. Special apps can help by measuring air pollution, noise and temperature and then calculating whether outdoor sports are healthy.