Abstract
This paper considers the environmental impact on well-being and performance in elite athletes during Olympic competition. The benefits of exercising in natural environments are recognized, but less is known about the effects on performance and health in elite athletes. Although some Olympic events take place in natural environments, the majority occur in the host city, usually a large densely populated area where low exposure to natural environments is compounded by exposure to high levels of air, water, and noise pollution in the ambient environment. By combining methods and expertise from diverse but inter-related disciplines including environmental psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, environmental science, and epidemiology, a transdisciplinary approach will facilitate a greater understanding of the effects of the environment on Olympic athletes.
Highlights
Olympic Games, including Rio 2016, induce acute stressors on athletes comprising both competitive (Schinke et al, 2012; Nicholls and Levy, 2016) and organizational factors (Fletcher et al, 2012)
The 2020 Olympic games will take place in Tokyo, a megacity which Gurjar et al (2008) gave a multi-pollutant index (MPI) of −0.27 in their study of air pollution levels in megacities
Pierson et al (1986) noted that air pollution can be an important factor in the success of Olympic athletes, drawing reference to several studies that show that the combination of exercise with exposure to SO2 or O3 can cause a marked bronchoconstriction and reduced ventilatory flow
Summary
Olympic Games, including Rio 2016, induce acute stressors on athletes comprising both competitive (Schinke et al, 2012; Nicholls and Levy, 2016) and organizational factors (Fletcher et al, 2012). Many variables have been explored, including athlete resilience and adaptation (Fletcher and Sarkar, 2012) the environment in which sport occurs has not been subject to the same level of scrutiny. This is surprising, given that Olympic Games are typically hosted by a large densely populated city where low exposure to natural environments is compounded by exposure to high levels of air, water, and noise pollution in the ambient environment. This perspective article considers some of the environmental challenges and benefits for athletes
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