Exercising Outdoors: How Does Pollution Affect Athletes? | Active.com.

Are there are long-term consequences of exercising in air that is polluted? Dr. Morton Lippmann, a professor of environmental medicine at the New York University School of Medicine says given what can be in the air, “people who exercise outdoors should probably be more worried” than many are.

“Fine particulates are definitely something to worry about,” said Dr. Kenneth Rundell, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania,” especially for athletes, who, in the process of exerting themselves, can take in very elevated doses.”

“Athletes typically take in 10 to 20 times as much air,” and thus pollutants, with every breath as sedentary people do.