Air quality can limit amount of exercise

This summer has been a tough one for runners and cyclists due to the persistent smoke and poor air quality from local wildfires. The season's dry conditions have brought on so many small and large wildfires, creating a high concentration of particulates that can be hazardous to the health of athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The good news is most healthy active people generally are not affected by high levels of smoke in the air.

But what about week after week of running, biking and being active in these smoky conditions? Wildfire smoke contains small particulates of less that 2.5 micrometers in diameter which can get into your respiratory system. Short term exposure can cause healthy people to have runny eyes, a runny nose and scratchy throat, loss of energy and even kickstart bronchitis.

Poor air quality is a much bigger concern for people with high-risk health conditions like allergies, asthma, heart and lung disease, which severely affect their ability to function. These folks are affected at much lower concentrations of smoke-generated particulates, so these summer fires are problematic for many of us, not just active people.

There are guidelines to follow when trying to determine if it's safe to head out for a run or for that matter, any activity that requires an increase in heart rate and respiratory exertion. These guidelines center around the Air Quality Index or AQI. First, let's get a basic understanding of the AQI:

The Air Quality Index was developed to help people understand the levels of particles in the air. The higher the level of particles, the higher the chance of irritation you may experience with sinus, throat, lungs, eyes and respiratory irritation. These levels are rated between 0 and 500 and the higher the warning, the greater the risk factors can be for people with pre-existing conditions and for active people outside on the go.

Air Quality Index (AQI) range:

0-50 Good

51-100 Moderate

101-150 Unhealthy for

Sensitive Groups

151 to 200 Unhealthy

201 to 300 Very

Unhealthy

301 to 500 Hazardous

One of the best ways to evaluate the air quality is simply establish if visibility is less than 5 miles due to wildfire smoke. A great example is looking toward any of our regional mountains and noticing just how obscure they are. If you have a hard time seeing hills and mountains in the distance, conditions have become unhealthy. For both active people and folks with health conditions, it's best to move your activity indoors. Being indoors is your best bet and air conditioning systems filter the air pretty well, so that certainly helps.

So just how bad it is to exercise and/or compete in athletic events in these smoky conditions? The answer to this is different for each of us, but poor air quality has an impact on everyone. When air quality gets into the unhealthy range, which is over 100 on the AQI chart, the first people to feel it are people with allergies, asthma, the elderly and small children. Asthmatics must be very careful exercising in poor air quality conditions since exercise-induced asthma is common and poor air quality will trigger an asthma event very quickly. A number of studies have also linked poor air quality to significant decreases in athletic performance. Exposure to pollutants generally leads to a noticeable drop in your ability to take in oxygen.

It was found that high levels of particulates and oxidants in the air slowed oxygen bonding in your red blood cells. Once your red blood cells lose the ability to carry oxygen through out your body, affectively performance drops quickly in even elite athletes. Studies done around both the L.A. and Beijing Olympics found that after just two hours of exposure to poor air quality, some athletes saw an 11 percent decrease in their performance.

What action should you take during these dog days of summer filled with smoke?

* As much as I hate to say this, stay indoors more and keep the windows and doors closed.

* Limit hard outdoor workouts and long swims, bikes or runs to shorter durations.

* Generally avoid physical exertion on days that are very bad and keep an eye on the AQI to see when air quality improves below 100.

* If you're feeling extremely tired, having trouble breathing and having flare-ups with your asthma, it may be wise to contact your health care provider.

One useful website to check the air quality index is airnow.gov, which has many useful maps and guidelines for air quality levels.

If you do decide to exercise or participate in local races during this unpleasant wildfire season, be aware that your oxygen intake will be impaired, your performance with suffer and you may experience discomfort during your workouts and/or races. I would recommend you curb your exposure and shorten your outdoor exercise to avoid the harmful effects of our poor air quality.

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corporation.