Moderate intensity running in urban environments resulted in a greater increase in FEV1 two hours post-exercise compared to woodland environments (336 mL vs. 91 mL; P<0.001).
RCT (n=19)
randomized order
Does the environment (urban, coastal, woodland, indoor) affect acute lung function and airway inflammation responses to moderate intensity exercise in healthy adults?
Moderate intensity exercise in environments with low pollution levels supports acute increases in lung function, but transient increases in airway inflammation suggest even low particulate matter levels elicit inflammatory responses.
Effect estimate: mean difference 245 mL (95% CI 50 mL to 440 mL)
Absolute Event Rate: 336% vs 91%
p-value: p=< 0.001
Abstract Rationale Exercise can benefit physical and mental health, yet the environment it is performed in may influence respiratory outcomes, as increased minute ventilation during exercise amplifies pollutant inhalation. Some evidence suggests the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks of pollution exposure; others indicate that even low-level pollution may blunt the benefits. Running routes may be dictated by residential location, therefore understanding the acute respiratory effects of exercise in real-world environments is essential. The aim of this study was to assess lung function and airway inflammation responses to 60 minutes of moderate exercise in urban, coastal, woodland, and indoor locations. Methods Nineteen healthy adults completed 60 minutes of moderate intensity running in each of the four environments in a randomized order. FVC, FEV1 and FeNO were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at two- and four-hours post-exercise. PM2.5 and PM10 were monitored using validated portable sensors. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA with mixed effects was used to assess the effect of time and location on changes in physiological outcomes. Results A main effect for both time and location were identified for FVC (p 0.01, η²p = 0.05), and FEV1 (p = 0.04, η²p = 0.04). A main effect for time was identified for FEV1/FVC ratio (p 0.01, η²p = 0.02), PEF (p = 0.01, η²p = 0.03), FEF25-75% (p 0.01, η²p = 0.03), and FeNO (p 0.001, η²p = 0.17). There was a greater increase in FEV1 two hours after exercise in the urban compared to the woodland environment (336 mL vs. 91 mL; p 0.001; mean difference 245 mL 95% CI: 50 mL to 440 mL). FeNO increased two hours after exercise in the urban (mean: +5.0ppb; 95% CI: 9.45ppb to 0.54ppb; p = 0.02) and coastal locations (mean: +3.8ppb; 95% CI: 7.2ppb to 0.49ppb; p = 0.03) where mean observed PM10 concentrations were 11.02 (SD 5.84) and 19.94 (SD 12.76), respectively. Conclusions Moderate intensity exercise in environments with pollution levels below world health organization’s (WHO) 24-hr thresholds appears to support acute increases in lung function in healthy adults. However, transient increases in airway inflammation suggest that particulate matter levels below WHO thresholds may elicit inflammatory responses. This highlights the importance of considering exercise location to optimize respiratory health and support urban planning that facilitates exercise away from traffic-dense areas. This abstract is funded by: None
Moloney et al. (Fri,) conducted a rct in Healthy adults (n=19). Moderate intensity running in urban, coastal, woodland, and indoor locations vs. Different environments (crossover) was evaluated on Lung function (FVC, FEV1) and airway inflammation (FeNO) responses (mean difference 245 mL, 95% CI 50 mL to 440 mL, p=< 0.001). Moderate intensity running in urban environments resulted in a greater increase in FEV1 two hours post-exercise compared to woodland environments (336 mL vs. 91 mL; P<0.001).