Air Quality and Athletic Performance: What We Can Learn from Elite Athletes
Air: A Fuel Still Overlooked in Athletic Training
Nutrition, sleep, interval training, active recovery… Today, the training regimens of elite athletes are meticulously planned.
Yet one fundamental factor is still often overlooked: the quality of the air they breathe—during training and competition, and even more so in their living and recovery spaces.
On average, a person breathes in 15,000 liters of air per day. This volume can increase five- to tenfold during intense physical activity. In other words, air is not merely a passive component of the environment; it is a direct factor in performance, just like hydration and nutrition.
This is what Lucas Rual and Émile Amoros, 49er skippers and Natéosanté partners Natéosanté 2018, have gradually incorporated into their approach.
We didn't realize that this is our fuel! We had already worked on nutrition, but not on air.
This realization highlights a common blind spot, even among athletes who are highly disciplined in their training.
What Science Says About the Link Between Air and Performance
The link between air quality and athletic performance has been well documented, although research in this area is still in its early stages. As professional athletes accumulate training hours, they are exposed to increasing levels of pollutants that may be present in the air they breathe, which can affect not only their health but also their performance.
Several mechanisms are involved
During exercise, the respiratory rate of some elite athletes can increase 30-fold within a few minutes compared to their resting rate. At this rate, even the slightest concentration of fine particles or chemical compounds in the ambient air is inhaled in quantities far exceeding normal levels.
Studies show that athletes often develop respiratory conditions such as asthma, which may be linked to pollution. Exposure occurs not only outdoors but also in enclosed spaces such as gyms, where various types of pollutants can become trapped.
Finally, the impact is not limited to physical health: the objectives of the World Athletics Air Quality project include collecting data to support scientific evidence of the effects of air pollution on athletic performance and overall health.
Mental clarity, nighttime recovery, and resistance to infections are among the factors being studied.
Tokyo 2021: A Revealing Context
Lucas Rual and Émile Amoros’ participation in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games in July and August 2021 brought into sharp focus the challenges of air quality for athletes on the road.
Competing in the 49er class—a two-person foiling dinghy—the two sailors from Pornic had to adapt to an environment very different from that of the Atlantic coast.
Japan is known for its episodes of air pollution, particularly in the Tokyo area, where heavy traffic and industrial emissions keep pollutant levels high.
In this context, having purified air in their hotel room was not a mere luxury: it was essential for optimal recovery, just like good bedding or a balanced diet.
For Émile Amoros, the formula is straightforward
Air quality has a direct impact on our physical condition and helps us stay sharper during competition.
They had already tested the same protocol during a trip to Australia, a country where pollution episodes linked to megafires had also disrupted international sporting events—including the Australian Open tennis tournament, where several players had to withdraw due to acute breathing difficulties.
"Marginal gains" that few athletes still think about
In elite sports, the concept of marginal gains—those small, cumulative advantages that make the difference between two closely matched levels—has become widely accepted over the past decade. Personalized nutrition, sleep analysis, cryotherapy, recovery baths… Coaching staffs are looking everywhere for those fractions of a percent to optimize.
The research program for elite sports announced in France as part of France 2030 has identified “environmental factors” as one of its priority areas, alongside sports technology and mental preparation. Air quality in living and training environments is a direct part of this approach.
Yet few athletes—even among the best-prepared—spontaneously incorporate it into their training. The experience of Rual and Amoros, who describe themselves as not having thought about it until it was brought to their attention, is indicative of a collective blind spot in athletic training.
What this means for amateur and semi-professional athletes
The issues discussed here do not apply solely to Olympic athletes. Any regular athlete—whether competing at the club level, in regional competitions, or training intensively indoors—is affected by the same mechanisms, to an extent proportional to their training volume.
Sports facilities must be ventilated regularly, and gyms must be equipped with a mechanical ventilation system to prevent pollutants from accumulating indoors.
A few practical tips to keep in mind
- Monitor the air quality in your workout room or bedroom when traveling to areas with high pollution levels.
- Ventilate or purify the air in sleeping areas, especially after intense exercise when the immune system is temporarily under strain.
- Adjust your outdoor workouts by checking local air quality indices, especially during periods of high pollution.
- Include indoor air quality in the specifications for living spaces during internships or business trips, just as you would for mattress quality or food.
Air is the only nutrient that humans consume continuously, without being able to stop.
For a top-level athlete, it makes no sense to pay meticulous attention to every detail of their training while ignoring this factor. The experience of Lucas Rual and Émile Amoros—2023 European 49er Champions and Olympians in Tokyo—illustrates how this awareness can be naturally integrated into a holistic approach to performance: not as a technical constraint, but as yet another variable to master, among all those that make the difference at the highest level.
Editor’s note: The quotes from Lucas Rual and Émile Amoros are taken from interviews given to Natéosanté 2021. The scientific data comes from institutional sources (AtmoSud, CNRS, World Athletics, France 2030).
You might also be interested in
Air Quality in Dental Laboratories: What Are the Risks for Dental Technicians, and How Can They Protect Themselves?
Metal dust, silica, resins, chemical fumes… Dental technicians are among the professionals most exposed to indoor air pollution. Learn about the real risks, the latest data for 2025–2026, and practical air purification solutions to protect your laboratory.
Indoor Air Quality in 2026: Health, Environment, and Regulations—Where Do We Stand?
European Directive 2024/2881, IAQ requirements in public buildings starting in 2025: What is the state of indoor air quality in France in 2026, and what measures should be taken?
Air quality: a vital and long-term issue!
Two recent scientific studies have brought pollen and PM2.5 fine particles into the debate on possible factors accelerating SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the spread of COVID-19. This serves as a reminder that, even beyond the pandemic, air pollution—both outdoor and indoor—remains one of the major causes […]
Improving indoor air quality in elementary, middle, and high schools using CO2 sensors and air purifiers
With its comprehensive range of services, NatéoSanté supports NatéoSanté in implementing solutions that not only help you comply with regulations regarding indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring in public buildings but also effectively combat the spread of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. Ensure purified air and protection […]