Air Pollution and Its Impact on Physical Fitness Level in Relation with Nutritional Status
The present study was carried out with an objective to find out relationship between nutritional status and physical fitness level of junior sportspersons, age ranging between 14 and 16 years, in two different ambient air pollutant zones in West Bengal, India. The sample consisted of 50 sprinters (trained boys) (25 from Kolkata and 25 from Sonarpur) and 80 untrained boys (40 from Kolkata and 40 from Sonarpur) of West Bengal. Ambient air quality of two zones was monitored. Air pollutants’ levels were higher in Kolkata than Sonarpur. The physical fitness parameters included agility, leg muscle power, speed and handgrip strength. Nutritional status was measured by oral questionnaire method and nutritive values (energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin C, b-carotene, vitamin B1) were calculated. Result revealed that physical fitness parameters were significantly higher in both sprinters and untrained boys of Sonarpur than Kolkata. No significant difference was observed in energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intake between the groups. But vitamin C, b-carotene and vitamin B1 intake showed significant higher values in both sprinters and untrained boys of Sonarpur. It was concluded that environmental air pollutants have adverse effect on physical fitness components and higher intake of vitamins helped both sprinters and untrained boys of Sonarpur to improve the performance level against the impact of air pollution.
Ahmed, F., Zareen, M., Khan, M.R., Banu, C.P, Haq, M.N. and A.A. Jackson (1998). Dietary pattern nutrient intake and growth of adolescent school girls in Urban Bangladesh. Public Health Nutr., 1: 83-92.
Cupisti, A.D., Alessandro, C., Castrogiovanni, S., Barale, A. and E. Morelli (2002). Nutrition knowledge and dietary composition in Italian adolescent female athletes and non- athletes. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc Metab., 12: 207-219.
Curtis, L., Rea, W., Smith-Willis, P., Fenyves, E. and Y. Pan (2006). Adverse health effects of outdoor air pollutants, Environ Int., 32: 815-830.
Daigle, C.C., Chalupa, D.C., Gibb, F.R., Morrow, P.E., Oberdörster, G., Utell, M.J. and M.W. Frampton (2003). Ultrafine particle deposition in humans during rest and exercise. Inhal Toxicol., 15: 539-552.
Das, P., Debnath, P. and P. Chatterjee (2005). Study of selected motor ability variables of school going boys in two different pollutant zones. Biomedicine, 25: 21-26.
Das, P., Debnath, P., Chatterjee, P. and S. Datta(De) (2007a). Assessment of nutritional status with special emphasis on diet survey, anthrometric measurements and clinical findings of junior sports persons of West Bengal. The Journal of Indian dietetic association, 32: 6-12.
Das, P., Debnath, P. and P. Chatterjee (2007b). Impact of air pollutants on physical fitness components of trained and untrained boys of West Bengal, India. International Journal of Applied Sports Sciences, 19: 16-25.
Elbel, E.R., Reid, K.M. and D.E. Ormond (1958). Comparison of certain tests of physical fitness and certain bodily measurements. J. Appl. Physiol., 16: 153-156.
Fisher, J.T. and F.J. Cerny (1982). Characteristics of adjustment of lung diffusion capacity to work. J. Appl. Physiol., 52: 1124-1127.
Florida-James, G., Donaldson, K. and V. Stone (2004). Athens 2004: the pollution climate and athletic performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22: 967-980.
Johnson, B.L. and J.K. Nelson (1982). Practical measurements for evaluation in physical Education. 3rd Ed. Surjeet Publications, Delhi, India.
Johnson-Down, L., O’Loughlin, J., Koski, K.G. and K. Gray- Donald (1997). High prevalence of obesity in low income and multiethnic school children: A diet and physical activity assessment. J. Nutr., 127: 2310-2315.
Kelly, F.J. (2004). Dietary antioxidants and environmental stress. Proc Nutr Soc., 63: 579- 585.
Kunzli, N. (2002). The public health relevance of air pollution abatement. Eur Respir J., 20: 190-209.
Menzel, D.B. (1992). Antioxidant vitamins and prevention of lung disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci., 669: 141-155.
Petrie, H.J., Stover, E.A. and C.A. Horswill (2004). Nutritional concerns for the child and adolescent competitor. Nutrition,20: 620-631.
Phillips, D.A. and J.K. Hornak (1979). Measurement and evaluation in physical education. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, pp. 226-227.
Pope, C.A.3rd, Bumett, R.T., Thurston, G.D., Thun, M.J., Calle, E.E., Krewski, D. and J.J. Godleski (2004). Cardiovascular mortality and long-term exposure to particulate air pollution: Epidemiological evidence of general pathophysiological pathways of disease. Circulation, 109: 71-77.
Romieu, I. (2005). Nutrition and lung health. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis., 9: 362-374.
Sargent, L.W. (1924). Some observations in the Sargent test of neuromuscular efficiency. American Physical Education Review, 29: 47-56.
Seth, V. and K. Singh (1993). Diet planning through the life cycle in health and disease, A practical manual. Blaze Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, pp.19-40.
Sharman, J.E. (2005). Clinicians prescribing exercise: Is air pollution a hazard? Medical Journal of Australia., 182: 606- 607.
Shephard, R.J. (1984). Athletic performance and urban air pollution. Can. Med. Assoc. J., 131: 105-109.
Shephard, R.J. and P.N. Shek (1998). Immunological hazards from nutritional imbalance in athletes. Exerc Immunol Rev.,4: 22-48.