Indoor Environment and Sports Performance


I saw a horse race once where the winner was not declared
until the race people had a chance to look at the “photo
finish.”

Boy was it close. There was a bout 3 inches difference
between first and second place.

What could that second place horse have done in that
mile or so of endeavor? What little bit extra could have
won that race? How much extra energy or endurance did
that horse need? 5%, 10%??

For three inches in a mile race, the horse needed less
than 5% more performance to win.

What about a high school track star? How much extra do
they need to go to the Olympics?

Probably about 5% more energy; 5% more mental clarity.

Let’s back up in time.

When the high school student [or professional athlete]
sat in the dressing room, what were they breathing?
When they were at home in their bedroom, what were
they touching?

Most people exposed to mold or some pollutants will
show somewhere between 5-10% performance loss.

http://www.canarycoalition.org/abby.html

This is due to:
1. Slightly impaired oxygen uptake
2. Scrambled neurotransmitters that confuse muscle
tissue
3. Interference with chemical cycles in the production
of energy
4. Mental acuity interference

Mold

Molds give off chemicals that mimic natural signal
chemicals in the body. These chemicals can cause
confusion inside the body. An athlete needs focus
not confusion.

http://www.themoldlab.com/mytcotoxins.htm

Mold loves moist buildings. Can you think of
anything wetter than a high school dressing room?
And many homes have wet basements or attics.

So if you get rid of the mold in the athletes
dressing room and home you can gain 5-10% extra
performance, right? Well almost.

Store cleansers

We also have to think about regular chemicals
in the home that can also interfere with
nerve/muscle junctions.

Most high schools try to get rid of mold and
bacteria with bleach. Well, bleach won’t kill mold.
But that’s the subject of another article. Bleach
will burn the lungs and mess up vision and cause
disorientation.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002761.htm

Some of the things you buy at the store contain phenols and
formaldehyde. Like bleach these cleaners scar the lungs and
decrease the person’s ability to breathe efficiently.

http://www.parish-supply.com/chemicalsinyourcloset.htm

Does this contribute to an Olympic destiny? Hardly.

Ozone machines

Some people use ozone machines to disinfect the air in
locker rooms. The logic is that ozone is all natural.
Well, so is arsenic.

http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Scams/Ozone.shtml
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?cdvLUK9O0E&b44567

Ozone has been traced to lowered lung efficiency. The
lungs become less elastic and so the amount of air
sucked in is less. Now there is something that will
decrease athletic ability. Probably more than the
5-10% we have been talking about.

Conclusion

Okay what will clean the environment and not harm
the potential sports hero?

Go to your health food store and look for cleaners
with tea tree oil [Melaleuca oil] or grapefruit Seed
Extract. They kill mold and bacteria but don’t cause
changes in the body’s ability to function at peak
efficiency. Our company motto is, “If You Can’t Drink
It, Don’t Spray It.”

Just changing your cleaning products and cleaning
up mold can add that 5-10% performance to an athlete.
And that, my friend, is the topic of this article.

About the Author

For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people
treat and prevent disease by showing them how
to live in a clean environment.
DrGraham@themoldlab.com