It does prevent performance degradation due to Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (commonly, but improperly, called exercise induced asthma) which is a real thing. Certain airborne allergens, including chloramines, can trigger or aggravate EIB. This may be why its so common among swimmers....
.... If there are allergens in the air, however, I lose performance and, in some cases, have to abandon my workout all together.
I can't correlate it very well with my current setup, but way BITD (1970s), as a student at UCLA, I was a runner. The air quality was so poor at times that taking a deep breath could be painful. I always associated it with air pollution. As I live in the Chicago area now, I have nothing to compare it with. For one, the completely different geography and meteorology (no hills/mountains to trap the crap, fewer temperature inversions) keeps the pollutants from reaching such high concentrations. Also, the pool I swim at now (McGaw YMCA) has an ozone(?)-based system. The difference is like night and day compared to a more traditional chlorine-based system. No more sinus irritation, no constant itchy skin during the winter. I suspect it has a positive effect on the EIB Gary describes (and what I perhaps suffered from in the old days).
It does prevent performance degradation due to Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (commonly, but improperly, called exercise induced asthma) which is a real thing. Certain airborne allergens, including chloramines, can trigger or aggravate EIB. This may be why its so common among swimmers....
.... If there are allergens in the air, however, I lose performance and, in some cases, have to abandon my workout all together.
I can't correlate it very well with my current setup, but way BITD (1970s), as a student at UCLA, I was a runner. The air quality was so poor at times that taking a deep breath could be painful. I always associated it with air pollution. As I live in the Chicago area now, I have nothing to compare it with. For one, the completely different geography and meteorology (no hills/mountains to trap the crap, fewer temperature inversions) keeps the pollutants from reaching such high concentrations. Also, the pool I swim at now (McGaw YMCA) has an ozone(?)-based system. The difference is like night and day compared to a more traditional chlorine-based system. No more sinus irritation, no constant itchy skin during the winter. I suspect it has a positive effect on the EIB Gary describes (and what I perhaps suffered from in the old days).
