Could Biking in a City Be Bad for Your Health? | National Geographic

air pollution is bad for you and we know

air pollution is bad for you and we know that exercise is good for you but

that exercise is good for you but

that exercise is good for you but there’s this on answered question of is

there’s this on answered question of is

there’s this on answered question of is exercising in close proximity to traffic

exercising in close proximity to traffic

exercising in close proximity to traffic enough of a bad thing for you that we

enough of a bad thing for you that we

enough of a bad thing for you that we should be recommending separating biking

should be recommending separating biking

should be recommending separating biking lanes from traffic altogether

lanes from traffic altogether

lanes from traffic altogether the challenge with biking in the city is

the challenge with biking in the city is

the challenge with biking in the city is that bikers are breathing heavily in the

that bikers are breathing heavily in the

that bikers are breathing heavily in the zone where exhaust is being emitted by

zone where exhaust is being emitted by

zone where exhaust is being emitted by motor vehicles and although motor

motor vehicles and although motor

motor vehicles and although motor vehicles have become cleaner over the

vehicles have become cleaner over the

vehicles have become cleaner over the last 20 or 30 years they’re still not as

last 20 or 30 years they’re still not as

last 20 or 30 years they’re still not as clean as they need to be especially when

clean as they need to be especially when

clean as they need to be especially when you put people that are exercising right

you put people that are exercising right

you put people that are exercising right in the close proximity of the exhaust

in the close proximity of the exhaust

in the close proximity of the exhaust the primary goal of the study is to

the primary goal of the study is to

the primary goal of the study is to develop and deploy new ways of measuring

develop and deploy new ways of measuring

develop and deploy new ways of measuring air pollution what we’re doing is

air pollution what we’re doing is

air pollution what we’re doing is majoring both the concentrations of

majoring both the concentrations of

majoring both the concentrations of pollution that people encounter as they

pollution that people encounter as they

pollution that people encounter as they move around the city and we’re also

move around the city and we’re also

move around the city and we’re also measuring people’s respiration rates so

measuring people’s respiration rates so

measuring people’s respiration rates so the liters per minute of air that

the liters per minute of air that

the liters per minute of air that they’re breathing in and when you

they’re breathing in and when you

they’re breathing in and when you multiply those two things together unit

multiply those two things together unit

multiply those two things together unit the dose we have five things with people

the dose we have five things with people

the dose we have five things with people where so they wear a shirt that measures

where so they wear a shirt that measures

where so they wear a shirt that measures their minute ventilation and it measures

their minute ventilation and it measures

their minute ventilation and it measures their heart rate including their heart

their heart rate including their heart

their heart rate including their heart rate variability so the timing of the

rate variability so the timing of the

rate variability so the timing of the beats and then we ask them to wear to

beats and then we ask them to wear to

beats and then we ask them to wear to air pollution monitors and then we ask

air pollution monitors and then we ask

air pollution monitors and then we ask them to wear a blood pressure monitor

them to wear a blood pressure monitor

them to wear a blood pressure monitor that automatically picks a measurement

that automatically picks a measurement

that automatically picks a measurement every half hour and then finally during

every half hour and then finally during

every half hour and then finally during the ride we ask them to log their

the ride we ask them to log their

the ride we ask them to log their location using a GPS device we have two

location using a GPS device we have two

location using a GPS device we have two years to work out all the bugs and prove

years to work out all the bugs and prove

years to work out all the bugs and prove that we can make all the measurements

that we can make all the measurements

that we can make all the measurements that we need to make then and only then

that we need to make then and only then

that we need to make then and only then would we get the green light to go on

would we get the green light to go on

would we get the green light to go on and do the larger health study we know

and do the larger health study we know

and do the larger health study we know from a lot of other previous studies

from a lot of other previous studies

from a lot of other previous studies that breathing the tiny little particles

that breathing the tiny little particles

that breathing the tiny little particles that are in the

that are in the

that are in the by motor vehicles especially diesel

by motor vehicles especially diesel

by motor vehicles especially diesel vehicles our concern because of the fact

vehicles our concern because of the fact

vehicles our concern because of the fact that those tiny particles get deep into

that those tiny particles get deep into

that those tiny particles get deep into our lungs and they can even be absorbed

our lungs and they can even be absorbed

our lungs and they can even be absorbed into our bloodstream and cause health

into our bloodstream and cause health

into our bloodstream and cause health effects in various parts of our body

effects in various parts of our body

effects in various parts of our body including over the long term if you’re

including over the long term if you’re

including over the long term if you’re exposed you know for many years to the

exposed you know for many years to the

exposed you know for many years to the development of cardiovascular disease of

development of cardiovascular disease of

development of cardiovascular disease of the kind that we see with cigarette

the kind that we see with cigarette

the kind that we see with cigarette smoking our goal is to have a phone app

smoking our goal is to have a phone app

smoking our goal is to have a phone app that kind of looks like a Google map

that kind of looks like a Google map

that kind of looks like a Google map that would optimize route that minimizes

that would optimize route that minimizes

that would optimize route that minimizes exposure yeah but also trading up

exposure yeah but also trading up

exposure yeah but also trading up against the time that it would take to

against the time that it would take to

against the time that it would take to follow that route so that a person could

follow that route so that a person could

follow that route so that a person could choose some balance between saving time

choose some balance between saving time

choose some balance between saving time and saving air pollution exposure

there’s nothing else that I found it

there’s nothing else that I found it makes me as excited as I am to do this

makes me as excited as I am to do this

makes me as excited as I am to do this you can’t ride roller coasters to give

you can’t ride roller coasters to give

you can’t ride roller coasters to give you this feeling you can’t do other

you this feeling you can’t do other

you this feeling you can’t do other places and see anything like this this

places and see anything like this this

places and see anything like this this is unique to here