How should athletes prepare for competing in Beijing’s pollution?

As the lead exercise physiologist for the United States Olympic Committee, Randy Wilber has been fielding one bizarre question after another from American athletes training for the Beijing Games.

Should I run behind a bus and breathe in the exhaust? Should I train on the highway during rush hour? Is there any way to acclimate myself to pollution?

I’ve been hearing a lot about blue-sky days and factory shutdowns, but I’m home sick with yet another mystery cough. There’s a lot to be done before August. The constant cough that plagues expats and visitors is going to do more than just annoy Olympic contestants.

Chinese officials say the air in Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the world, will not be an issue when China’s first Olympic Games start Aug. 8. They plan to limit vehicle use, close factories and do everything in their power to bring blue skies to Beijing. Jacques Rogge, the I.O.C. president, said he was confident the air would be clean because Chinese officials “are not going to let down the world.”

Mr. Wilbur’s plan is to issue carbon-filter breathing masks to Olympic athletes, and suggesting they wear the breathing maks from arrival in Beijing until the Olympic events.

“I think it would be a huge political issue and an embarrassment to the Chinese people and to the I.O.C. if American athletes wore masks in the event itself,” Mr. Wilber said. “If that image was beamed around the world on TV, it would cause nothing but problems.”

He added, “It’s much more important to guard against the pollution beforehand and go to the line with clean lungs.”

Via New York Times