Exercise-induced effects on a gym atmosphere

Abstract

We report results of analysis of a month-long measurement of indoor air and environment quality parameters in one gym during sporting activities such as football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, boxing, and fitness. We have determined an average single person's contribution to the increase of temperature, humidity, and dust concentration in the gym air volume of 12500 m3: during 90-min exercise performed at an average heart rate of 143 ± 10 bpm, a single person evaporated 0.94 kg of water into the air by sweating, contributed 0.03 K to the air temperature rise and added 1.5 μg/m3 and 5 ng/m3 to the indoor concentration of inhalable particles (PM10) and Ca concentration, respectively. As the breathing at the observed exercise intensity was about three times faster with respect to the resting condition and as the exercise-induced PM10 concentration was about two times larger than outdoors, a sportsman in the gym would receive about a sixfold higher dose of PM10 inside than he/she would have received at rest outside.