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Effects of Polluted Air on Cardiovascular and Hematological Parameters After Progressive Maximal Aerobic Exercise

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Abstract

Purpose

Exercising or doing physical activity in polluted air could expose a person to the adverse health effects of air pollution. This study aimed to compare the cardiovascular and hematologic indices following an incremental exercise test (shuttle run) under clean versus polluted air conditions.

Methods

Nineteen male athletes aged 21–27 years were assigned to either a trained athletes group (TA, n = 10) or a complete training cessation/detrained athletes group (DA, n = 9) at least 3–4 months after their competitive season. All participants performed the multi-stage shuttle run test on two separate days in either polluted air (37.4 carbon monoxide part per million) or clean air (2.5 carbon monoxide part per million) condition.

Results

When compared to the clean air environment, progressive incremental exercise in polluted air condition significantly (p < .05) decreased maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), red blood cell count, and hematocrit for both TA and DA groups. Meanwhile, the participants’ mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean red blood cell volume, white blood cells, and platelets in these two groups increased significantly (p < .05) when they were exercised in the polluted air ambiance. Maximal heart rate and heart rate recovery showed significant (p = .04) increases only in the DA group. However, hemoglobin concentration remained unchanged in both groups.

Conclusion

Acute exposure to high concentrations of pollutants during exercise resulted in decline in cardiovascular functions and hematological parameters in healthy athletes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the student athletics of the University of Isfahan. We would like to express our special thanks to Professor David Pyne, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia for his assistance with the manuscript. Special thanks to the Department of Sport Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan for supporting this study.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors of this paper had any personal or financial conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sport Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan, HezarJerib Street, P.O. Box 81746-7344, Isfahan, Iran

    Mehdi Kargarfard, Ali Kheiri & Amin Eatemadyboroujeni

  2. Department of Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia

    Ardalan Shariat & Shamsul B. M. Tamrin

  3. Department of Sport and Movement Studies, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2028, Republic of South Africa

    Brandon S. Shaw & Ina Shaw

  4. Office of the Academic President, Monash University (South Africa Campus), P.O. Box X60, Ruimsig, 1725, Republic of South Africa

    Ina Shaw

  5. Department of Health and Human Performance, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Eddie T. C. Lam

Authors
  1. Mehdi Kargarfard
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  2. Ardalan Shariat
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  3. Brandon S. Shaw
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  4. Ina Shaw
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  5. Eddie T. C. Lam
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  6. Ali Kheiri
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  7. Amin Eatemadyboroujeni
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  8. Shamsul B. M. Tamrin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mehdi Kargarfard.

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Kargarfard, M., Shariat, A., Shaw, B.S. et al. Effects of Polluted Air on Cardiovascular and Hematological Parameters After Progressive Maximal Aerobic Exercise. Lung 193, 275–281 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9679-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9679-1

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