Acute cardiorespiratory response to ambient air pollution exposure during short-term physical exercise in young males

Physical exercise in the presence of ambient air pollution may increase the absorbed dose of air pollutants. The combined effect of such exposure on cardiorespiratory function in young adults remains unclear. To determine the acute cardiorespiratory responses in healthy young adults preforming submaximal physical exercise under exposure to high level winter-type ambient air pollution. Healthy young males (n=30) performed two separate 15-minute submaximal exercise trials on a cycle ergometer – when air pollutants’ concentrations were increased (exposure trial) and when air quality was good (control trial). Each time blood pressure, pulse oximetry, spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured at baseline, directly after exercise and after 15-min of rest. High air pollutants concentrations were observed during exposure trials (PM2.5 24.0–157.0 μg/m3, SO2 8.7–85.8 μg/m3). Group-based correlation analysis showed statistically significant negative correlations between post-exercise declines in FEV1/FVC and SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations. In individual cases the decrease was recorded only in subjects who exercised under particularly high exposure, and was not related to their BMI, physical activity pattern or allergy status. In multivariate analysis SO2 was a statistically significant predictor of both immediate (OR: 1.09, 95%CI: 1.01–1.17) and delayed decrease in airflow (OR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01–1.16), and PM2.5 was also a statistically significantly explanatory variable of post-exercise decline in FEV1/FVC (OR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.00–1.06). In young and healthy males exposure to ambient air pollution during short-term submaximal exercise is associated with a decrease in airflow (FEV1/FVC) and the decrease is more apparent when the exercise takes place under particularly high exposure conditions. •Outdoor physical exercise may increase absorbed dose of airborne air pollutants.•30 healthy men performed two exercise trials, each under different exposures.•Exercise under high air pollution exposure was associated with decrease in airflow.•The decrease in airflow was related to concentrations of PM2.5 and SO2.•This response did not depend on allergy, BMI or individual physical activity.