4 ms·

Unfortunately, some of the benefits of running may prove elusive to those of us living in urban settings. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23073213 https://

Unfortunately, some of the benefits of running may prove elusive to those of us living in urban settings. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23073213 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23073213

rl3 10y ago
Could always run in a 3M respirator. The reduced airflow would make it extra intense, if not untenable. On the other hand, frequent breaks due to being stopped by police would probably balance that out.
- snom380 10y ago
  There are some reviews of different options here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/oct/07/avoiding-pollution-on-bike-we-test-cycling-anti-pollution-masks-respro-totobobo-biologic https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/oct/0...
  - thomyorkie 10y ago
    Some of the more dangerous pollutants are ultra-fine particles (less than 100nm in size). I wonder how effective these masks are for trapping these particles. I can only find information on how well they trap particles larger than 100nm.
    - dghughes 10y ago
      Many people don't realize how dangerous small particles can be over many years. Something that doesn't seem dangerous can cause scars on lung tissue with constant exposure to it over many years. My dad has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF it's probably from breathing in small particles over the years which causes scarring of lung tissue. Although the idiopathic part means how it occurs is not known for sure. He worked a blue collar job and often breathed in dust from various things. Lungs are only for air don't mess with your lungs!
  - clumsysmurf 10y ago
    I used a Respro while mountain biking in AZ; when breathing & inhaling very heavily there is some resistance. But otherwise I liked it. There is also this inhaler containing ectoine, but this wouldn't protect against particles entering the brain via olfactory nerve: "An inhaler that protects the lungs against air pollution has been developed by scientists and could help the many millions of people affected by toxic air to avoid its worst effects." https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/16/new-inhaler-protects-lungs-against-effects-of-air-pollution https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/16/new-inha...
- Baeocystin 10y ago
  I've used respirators for years at various jobs. The older ones were definitely more restrictive, but you can get P100 filters nowadays for cheap that don't have any noticeable resistance at all, even when breathing hard. Just about any dual-filter mask qualifies.
  - rl3 10y ago
    With all the exhaust in major metro areas you'd need cartridge-based filters. Personally I'd opt for 3M Multi Gas 60926s with P100 caps. Then again, hauling your own air supply would result in far easier breathing and better cardio due to the added weight.
    - Mtinie 10y ago
      I use that filter and setup when I work on my art projects. It's a pain in the ass, so I know it's working (/snark) Runnning with it, however, is a whole different animal.
    - Baeocystin 10y ago
      Heh. GMTA. Those are the exact filters I use. Welding, woodworking, smoke... doesn't matter, you can't tell, not even a hint of anything other than clean air coming through. And as long as you use the prefilters, they last a long time.
discreteevent 10y ago
These studies! They measure some micro thing in an extremely complex system and then we extrapolate to get an overall result. But we don't do that with complex systems that we engineer. Why do we do it with people? I've worked with plenty of smokers. Some who didn't take much exercise. But some of them were extremely effective programmers. As Bob Dylan said: You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
- thomyorkie 10y ago
  I too have met some extremely intelligent smokers. But, I think you may be missing the point. This study doesn’t provide evidence that pollution by itself hinders your cognition. Rather that pollution (or some other urban-related phenomenon) may blunt some of the positive effects that aerobic exercise would have had otherwise. The negative effects of pollution have been well documented, so its not like this study is coming out of nowhere. But, I do agree that one study should not be given too much weight. And how pollution affects exercise needs more research before conclusions can be definitively reached.

Unfortunately, some of the benefits of running may prove elusive to those of us living in urban settings. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23073213 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23073213

rl3 10y ago

Could always run in a 3M respirator. The reduced airflow would make it extra intense, if not untenable. On the other hand, frequent breaks due to being stopped by police would probably balance that out.

snom380 10y ago
There are some reviews of different options here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/oct/07/avoiding-pollution-on-bike-we-test-cycling-anti-pollution-masks-respro-totobobo-biologic https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/oct/0...
- thomyorkie 10y ago
  Some of the more dangerous pollutants are ultra-fine particles (less than 100nm in size). I wonder how effective these masks are for trapping these particles. I can only find information on how well they trap particles larger than 100nm.
  - dghughes 10y ago
    Many people don't realize how dangerous small particles can be over many years. Something that doesn't seem dangerous can cause scars on lung tissue with constant exposure to it over many years. My dad has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF it's probably from breathing in small particles over the years which causes scarring of lung tissue. Although the idiopathic part means how it occurs is not known for sure. He worked a blue collar job and often breathed in dust from various things. Lungs are only for air don't mess with your lungs!
- clumsysmurf 10y ago
  I used a Respro while mountain biking in AZ; when breathing & inhaling very heavily there is some resistance. But otherwise I liked it. There is also this inhaler containing ectoine, but this wouldn't protect against particles entering the brain via olfactory nerve: "An inhaler that protects the lungs against air pollution has been developed by scientists and could help the many millions of people affected by toxic air to avoid its worst effects." https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/16/new-inhaler-protects-lungs-against-effects-of-air-pollution https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/16/new-inha...
Baeocystin 10y ago
I've used respirators for years at various jobs. The older ones were definitely more restrictive, but you can get P100 filters nowadays for cheap that don't have any noticeable resistance at all, even when breathing hard. Just about any dual-filter mask qualifies.
- rl3 10y ago
  With all the exhaust in major metro areas you'd need cartridge-based filters. Personally I'd opt for 3M Multi Gas 60926s with P100 caps. Then again, hauling your own air supply would result in far easier breathing and better cardio due to the added weight.
  - Mtinie 10y ago
    I use that filter and setup when I work on my art projects. It's a pain in the ass, so I know it's working (/snark) Runnning with it, however, is a whole different animal.
  - Baeocystin 10y ago
    Heh. GMTA. Those are the exact filters I use. Welding, woodworking, smoke... doesn't matter, you can't tell, not even a hint of anything other than clean air coming through. And as long as you use the prefilters, they last a long time.

discreteevent 10y ago

These studies! They measure some micro thing in an extremely complex system and then we extrapolate to get an overall result. But we don't do that with complex systems that we engineer. Why do we do it with people? I've worked with plenty of smokers. Some who didn't take much exercise. But some of them were extremely effective programmers. As Bob Dylan said: You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

thomyorkie 10y ago
I too have met some extremely intelligent smokers. But, I think you may be missing the point. This study doesn’t provide evidence that pollution by itself hinders your cognition. Rather that pollution (or some other urban-related phenomenon) may blunt some of the positive effects that aerobic exercise would have had otherwise. The negative effects of pollution have been well documented, so its not like this study is coming out of nowhere. But, I do agree that one study should not be given too much weight. And how pollution affects exercise needs more research before conclusions can be definitively reached.