A recent study led by Sun Yele, a professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, investigated the air quality in a basement gym to determine what exercisers are actually breathing.
The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, according to Technology Networks.
"Thinking back to the pandemic, my colleagues and I made a point of hitting the gym in our institute's basement more often," Sun Yele recalls. "Couldn't help but wonder what the air quality would be like with everyone breaking a sweat down there.”
This prompted the professor and his team to investigate the composition and concentration of pollutants in gym environments, recognizing the importance of understanding potential health risks associated with physical exercise.
First, their study showed that indoor air in the gym had a higher percentage of organic aerosols (particles containing primarily carbon, oxygen and hydrogen) compared to outdoor air. Inside the gym, about 50 percent of what you are inhaling constitutes organic aerosols, whereas the concentration is only around 40 percent outside.
The researchers identified two specific types of organic aerosols in the gym air:
1. Siloxane OA (SiOA): This term refers to particles that likely come from the lubricants used in gym equipment. In other words, the very machines used by exercisers are likely releasing tiny particles into the air. These particles were found to be surprisingly high, sometimes reaching up to 6 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
2. Cigarette Smoke OA (CSOA): Even if exercisers are not lighting up in the gym, traces of cigarette smoke were found in the air, likely transported from outdoors through ventilation.
"While hitting the gym is fantastic for your health, these findings suggest that along with burning calories, you might also be inhaling some not-so-great stuff," the Technology Networks report stated. "Especially when your breathing rate kicks up during exercise, you're taking in more of these particles, which could potentially impact your health.
"What does this mean for you? Well, it's a reminder that while you're busy sculpting those muscles, it's essential to consider the air you're breathing in. Different gyms with various equipment, occupancy rates, and ventilation systems might have different air quality levels."
