Exercise training in polluted environment: A narrative review with focus on combat physical fitness

Air pollution is one of the most important problems of recent decades, which has serious toxic effects on human health and the environment. Sources of pollution vary from small units of cigarettes and natural sources such as volcanic activity to large volumes of emissions from car engines and industrial activities or even radioactive ones. Today, there are various pollutants around the world that negatively affect human health. Walking and being in a polluted environment can increase the penetration of pollutants such as lead in the body. Increasing physical activity such as long-term running, which is widely used in some jobs such as military jobs, can increase the activity of muscle tissue, and as a result, the cardiovascular system becomes more active and helps absorb more pollutants. Lead acetate is a possible carcinogen in humans, which is absorbed into the human body by pollutants. There is evidence that lead compounds can cause lung, brain, stomach, and kidney cancer in humans. However, pollution does not include air pollution only, and noise pollution can endanger human health as well. Since some occupations such as those of military experience various types of noise, as well as chemical and radioactive pollution and the point that having high physical fitness is essential for these people, this study examined the impact of various pollutants on the military personnel and also sought to see whether exercising and having high physical fitness of military personnel can reduce the stress caused by the pollution.