Doing sports in a polluted city

Is it better to stay at home rather than go running along polluted avenues?

Playing sports is good for everyone, everyone agrees. And everyone also knows that air pollution is not without effect on the body . So some people wonder: Is it better to stay at home rather than go running along polluted avenues? Or is it still beneficial to play sports, even in a polluted environment? Le Figaro interviewed several specialists.

Logically, the health risks associated with inhaling particles therefore increase with physical activity. But these risks depend, among other things, on the size of the particles. "The smaller they are, the deeper they penetrate our organism. PM 2.5 (particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, editor's note ) go as far as the pulmonary alveoli, ” explains Dr Dixsaut. Carcinogenic, irritant… Their effects are diverse, and they can also promote allergies to pollen, or even amplify the carcinogenic character of other substances, such as tobacco.

Even smaller, ultrafine particles (less than 0.1 micrometer in diameter) can pass into the bloodstream and damage the arteries. Professor Daniel Thomas, cardiologist and honorary president of the French Cardiology Federation, summarizes: “Pollution promotes the onset of serious events - myocardial infarction, stroke, etc. - and also has chronic effects by altering the walls of the arteries and thus making the bed of these events. ”