View in EDS

Air pollution and elite adolescent soccer players' performance and well-being; an observational study.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Air pollution and elite adolescent soccer players' performance and well-being; an observational study.
Authors: Beavan, Adam1 (AUTHOR) Adam.Beavan@TSG-ResearchLab.de, Härtel, Sascha2 (AUTHOR), Spielmann, Jan1 (AUTHOR), Koehle, Michael3,4 (AUTHOR)
Source: Environment International. May2023, Vol. 175, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: World Health Organization, Elite athletes, Air pollution, Air quality monitoring, Well-being, Soccer teams, Athletic ability
Geographic Terms: Germany
Abstract: [Display omitted] • The study used information on air quality and weather to demonstrate negative effects on player performance and wellness. • 26 soccer matches and 197 training sessions were included in the dataset. • Increased air pollution was associated with negative effects on elite adolescent soccer players. • These effects included decreased distance ran, higher heart rates and perceived exertion per session, and lower wellness ratings. • Players inhaled higher levels of pollutants during matches than training sessions. Exercising outdoors may inadvertently lead to individuals inhaling levels of air pollution that may be detrimental to their health and activity-related performance. Endurance athletes are a particularly susceptible subgroup due to their high ventilation rates sustained over prolonged periods of time coupled with high training loads that often occur outdoors. In this study, we estimate the effects of air pollution on a series of athletic performance parameters in an elite adolescent soccer team. Methods: External, internal, and subjective loads and wellness questionnaires were recorded for the 26 matches and 197 training sessions carried out during the 2018–19 season for a U19 team competing in Germany. Each session was combined with hourly information on the concentration of PM 10 , O 3 and NO 2 in spatial proximity to each playing field for the duration of training or playing. Results: Increases in PM 10 and O 3 had significant (p <.001) associations with decreasing total distance (m) ran per session. Furthermore, increases in O 3 and NO 2 concentrations were related to an increase in average heart rate (p <.05). Moreover, increases in PM 10 concentration was associated with increased rating of perceived exertion (p <.001). Last, the total inhaled dose of O 3 and NO 2 over one session was linked to significant (p <.05) decreases in athletes' wellness scores on the following morning. Discussion: We find supporting evidence of the negative effects of air pollution in elite adolescent soccer players in both matches and training. The negative impacts observed on several aspects of performance are present within an elite team that regularly trained in pollution levels well within the normal ranges of what the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports to be suitable air quality. Therefore, mitigation strategies such as monitoring the air quality at the training pitch are recommended to reduce athlete exposure to air pollution even when exercising in moderate air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Environment International is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:[Display omitted] • The study used information on air quality and weather to demonstrate negative effects on player performance and wellness. • 26 soccer matches and 197 training sessions were included in the dataset. • Increased air pollution was associated with negative effects on elite adolescent soccer players. • These effects included decreased distance ran, higher heart rates and perceived exertion per session, and lower wellness ratings. • Players inhaled higher levels of pollutants during matches than training sessions. Exercising outdoors may inadvertently lead to individuals inhaling levels of air pollution that may be detrimental to their health and activity-related performance. Endurance athletes are a particularly susceptible subgroup due to their high ventilation rates sustained over prolonged periods of time coupled with high training loads that often occur outdoors. In this study, we estimate the effects of air pollution on a series of athletic performance parameters in an elite adolescent soccer team. Methods: External, internal, and subjective loads and wellness questionnaires were recorded for the 26 matches and 197 training sessions carried out during the 2018–19 season for a U19 team competing in Germany. Each session was combined with hourly information on the concentration of PM 10 , O 3 and NO 2 in spatial proximity to each playing field for the duration of training or playing. Results: Increases in PM 10 and O 3 had significant (p <.001) associations with decreasing total distance (m) ran per session. Furthermore, increases in O 3 and NO 2 concentrations were related to an increase in average heart rate (p <.05). Moreover, increases in PM 10 concentration was associated with increased rating of perceived exertion (p <.001). Last, the total inhaled dose of O 3 and NO 2 over one session was linked to significant (p <.05) decreases in athletes' wellness scores on the following morning. Discussion: We find supporting evidence of the negative effects of air pollution in elite adolescent soccer players in both matches and training. The negative impacts observed on several aspects of performance are present within an elite team that regularly trained in pollution levels well within the normal ranges of what the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports to be suitable air quality. Therefore, mitigation strategies such as monitoring the air quality at the training pitch are recommended to reduce athlete exposure to air pollution even when exercising in moderate air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:01604120
DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2023.107943