Is there a difference for your lungs between cycling in the countryside and cycling in a busy metropolis? Yes—a considerable one, according to research.
We have long known that some places have more air pollution than others, and that this pollution has an impact on our health. Researchers from various disciplines have now studied exactly what that impact means for our physical condition. How does it affect labour productivity, physical exertion, decision making and more?
In their part of the study, researchers Jos van Ommeren and Joris Klingen studied the effect of air pollution on the body. They examined the effect of air pollution in London on the speed of cyclists, analysing no fewer than 45 million bike rides. The conclusion? The cyclists were around 0.3 to 0.4% slower than those in less polluted areas—even on short bike rides, when the cyclists were only briefly exposed to air pollution. Do you plan on walking around a metropolis like New York City or doing a lap of the Vondelpark in Amsterdam? There is a good chance you’ll be slower than if you walked the same distance in the Veluwe.