Early start to wildfire season puts air quality front of mind for coaches and athletes

For millions of Canadians, the onset of the sultry summer months is the time for getting into outdoor sports. It is also, unfortunately, the time when wild fires and exhaust-related smog put air quality at its lowest.

Health Canada now wants joggers, cyclists, and team players to be smarter about the risks associated with every breath they take.

The agency responsible for Canadians' well-being has teamed up with the Sports Information Resource Centre to get a message out:  athletes and coaches should consider air quality the same way they  assess threats of lightning.

Coaches are key to the strategy. SIRC developed an online instruction kit  for coaches, who can then easily decipher their local Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) information and use that to adjust scheduling for games and practices when it is at its worst.

"I think in coaching sometimes we try to push the limits on things," said Dylan Wykes, who represented Canada in marathon at the London Olympics in 2012 and is now a running coach. "And this just reaffirms that being conservative in the approach to prescribing training is the way to go. That's what the science shows."

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Most current weather apps have localized air quality numbers, based on a 0 to 10+ scale. The AQHI provides guidance on what those numbers mean. For example, a reading of 0 to 3 means athletes can exercise without worry. From 4 to 6, the recommendation is people should reduce the intensity of outdoor exercise. If 7 and up, AQHI suggests taking practices inside and postponing or canceling outdoor games.

Wykes appreciatesthe clarity.

"The good thing was learning the very prescribed numbers at which you should start making