Poor air quality is a known asthma trigger, and concerns have been raised for months about the thick clouds of smog that hang over Beijing much of the time. With the Summer Olympics kicking off on August 8th, elite athletes who have asthma (and there are many) have to be worried that the poor air quality in that section of China will affect not only their health, but also their athletic performance.

Because of such concerns, Chinese authorities recently decided to institute odd-even driving restrictions from July to September. Not only will that inconvenience Beijing drivers, it will also cost the government an estimated $186 million. They have also spent more than $17 billion cleaning up their environment. So, it seems this is a country that really wants to host the international games and provide a positive athletic experience for participants.

They’ll also be providing estimates of air quality for up to 3 days in advance of events.

So, what does all this mean to those of us who are not elite Olympic athletes, other than a passing interest? Well, to my eyes, it raises awareness of the fact that air quality can have a powerful impact on people with asthma, making control difficult. It’s also important to note that asthma is common in athletes, but it does not have to be a barrier to participation in sports, not even at the elite level required in the Olympics.

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