(Andrew, me and Steph finishing our first 5K last week! What is skill? Taking a photo while finishing your first 5K...)
What I like about running is the fact that it is free (after the cost of shoes) and that it's low impact on the environment. No one needed to heat and light a studio, create a mat, create equipment for us to run to the park and back. Although it will never take the place of yoga (running doesn't even come close to making me as happy), it's a convenient and low-cost addition to my "keeping my body healthy" routine.
Recently my Facebook page has been swamped by local runners promoting the Halifax occurrence of "Run or Dye".
(image from Run or Dye website)
Despite the clever name and the admittedly fun-looking promotion of getting people to run, there are some serious environmental and health issues regarding an event that propagates hundreds of packets of dyed cornstarch "just because".
Firstly, I did email Run or Dye asking for an ingredient list of their dye packets and received this response:
"The dye is made of a colored cornstarch. It is food grade and is safe for skin and clothes."
My concerns with this statement mostly deal with the inhalation of the powder. Running results in a larger amount of air exchange while breathing- we breathe at a higher frequency and typically longer, fuller breaths. Once we stop running, this breathing pattern takes some time to revert back to typical, at rest, levels.
(image from Run or Dye Facebook Page)
Re: corn starch inhalation:
1. ANY substance other than air should not be inhaled. Our lungs are built to manage and process air and has defence mechanisms built in to handle a certain portion of non-healthy air pollution (and even then, think of air pollution, cigarette smoke- we have limits). Our lungs are NOT made to eliminate solid particles. Part of my training as a Speech-Language Pathologist is to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders, which entails a significant knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of our pharynx and larynx (mouth and throat) and aspiration: what happens when solid particles bypass our vocal folds and enter the lungs.
2. A MSDS for corn starch states the following: "If inhaled remove to fresh air...". It is not recommended to inhale corn starch.
Re: "Safe" dyes:
1. Let's be honest, I don't have a lot of faith in the "FDA" seal of approval. As you can read from several recent scientific articles, despite increasing and strong evidence that "FDA approved food dyes" are linked to behavioural changes in children, the FDA decided there was 'insufficient evidence' and continued to state food dyes were safe for ingestion. (Synthic Food Colors and Neurobehavioural Hazards: The View From Environmental Health Research, Weiss 2012; Diet and Nutrition: The Artificial Food Dye Blues, Potera 2010)
2. Beyond the discussion of what is "food" safe- the participants of Run or Dye aren't actually, for the most part, ingesting the dye, they are inhaling it. A huge difference. The FDA have come to their (dubious) conclusions from research looking at how our digestive systems, equipped to break down and process potentially harmful substances via the digestive acids and enzymes, and not how the bronchiales in our lungs process synthetic, solid, dyes.
3. Further, no one is talking about how these synthetic dyes would impact the soil and vegetation. These Run or Dye events use up a LOT of dyed cornstarch that will be absorbed and left on the soil and waterways.
Re: plastic packets:
The shear waste of the plastic packaging that each participant will receive with their dyed cornstarch is disgusting. Although Halifax does have quite a bit of recycling bins around the city, they aren't always readily available. Also, most residents are aware that it is the law to recycle plastics, that doesn't mean that they do (or that there are any consequences if they don't). Of course, recycling is really not the answer to managing our plastic problem in any case.
I applaud Run or Dye with coming up with a creative, fun way to get people motivated to be physically active.
It's the obvious health and environmental (which is our health as well) ramifications that have me saying: "No Thank You."
The dye doesn't appeal to me. if I was in shape, I would love to do the mud run. It looks like way more fun.
ReplyDeleteyes- the tough mudders, or other mud run looks like fun! although, having grown up in a place where there is a yearly "mudflat race" i'm sorta conditioned to think it's gross haha. (mudflats are STINKY)
DeleteThis is good food for thought. I'd registered for the color run last fall but couldn't complete it due to a funeral. I'd never thought about these aspects before. On another note, CONGRATS on completing that first 5k! :) You're doing great lady :)
ReplyDeletehonestly, i have to admit that it looks like fun... it's just the thought of inhaling all that dye.... :S
DeleteTHANKS! I'm super impressed with myself haha. never thought i'd do it. :)
congrats on the 5k!! thanks for rhe post- sometimes i don't think things through and you shed a lot of new light on this kind of race for me!
ReplyDeleteTime to start emailing city hall! Congrats on your 5K!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 5k!!! We are having this race around here, too, and I had never heard of it before this year. I had no idea the dyes were in cornstarch! Ick. I would be very nervous about inhaling that, too. Plus, as you know, I don't care for dyes, in general! Very thoughtful post - thank you!
ReplyDeleteNo thank you is right! Gross!
ReplyDeleteRunning can be fun!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts as I was running through that mess also. Connecticut held the Run or Dye event this past weekend in 95 degree heat and it was awful. Don’t know if the organizers were looking to cut cost or just do not place a high value on runner safety, maybe it’s both. There was only one water tent when you completed the race, tiny cups they were filling with a water hose! The line to get water from that one water tent was consistently 5 people deep and directly in the sun. There were no shaded areas for participants or watchers. I have done my fair share of events and each one exceeded expectation except for this one, I could care less that there were no cliff bars/bananas/snacks or medals at the end, but is water too much to ask? Coming from a place of pure safety, the organizer was completely negligent with this event. It makes sense that there are no high level promoters for this event, I would not want my name associated with this train wreck either.
ReplyDeleteI just signed up and am participating tomorrow morning. All of my information tells you to bring your own water to stay hydrated throughout. They also stated that there would be water provided when you finish.
DeleteDiscovered your blog when doing a search on the Color Run. I'm surprised there aren't more sources concerned with this. Inhaling clouds of dye and GMO corn starch into the lungs numerous times throughout the day while breathing heavily.... kind of a no brainer, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIMG just held this unhealthy and environment unfriendly "party" (It's definitely not a sport) in my country few days ago. And those colored powder flew into the river and painted the river like a rainbow. Just like the bloger said, I also have no confident with those food grade safety powder which will no harm to the environment. The event stuff lazily clean those mess and polute the plant and grass. I am glad that not only me have these feeling to deny this packaged pollution.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same! Not a good idea to run breathing this stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like fun and I will be doing it shortly. I understand the concerns and this isn't anything I would do nor recommend doing regularly. I've missed out on all of the past mud runs and this was the first thing to pop up next so I jumped on board. But breathing it in for a short while isn't the same as long time or consistent exposure. I wouldn't suggest people with asthma or respiratory issues take part, but for a once in a while thing I don't see where it hurts. I DO,however, see the problems with how it affects the environment.
ReplyDeleteI did this last year and it's a fun run... NO ONE is running hard.. it wasn't even a full 5K ( I had my Garmin with me out of curiosity) I had a little bit of dye in my sinuses and mouth but really it wasn't much and as an ex smoker I know that your lungs will heal and minimal stuff like this is really minimal as a normal healthy person I agree no one with a breathing issue should do it however. Yes, they could use biodegradable plastic for the packets. How corn starch affects our environment as well as the dye.. not sure on that but I did note that, here at least, they cleaned up really well. I Also do Spartan Races etc and they are very careful about their environment and push people to keep the area clean. No matter the event there will be some stress on the local environment. The point is to be wise and responsible, not sit at home doing nothing because we are afraid of doing anything.
ReplyDeleteAs a person in the medical profession that has taken care of multitudes of people with breathing conditions, I would say this is probably not a wise thing to do. Yes, you may be healthy now, but every irritant can add up as your body fights to rid itself of impurities you inhale. You are correct - just because a substance is "food grade" - it doesn't mean it's safe to inhale. I would encourage people to get out there and exercise, but there are plenty of other running venues that you can participate in that are safe!!!
ReplyDeleteHow come their FAQ does not answer this main concern? Breathing colored particules in lungs when in effort in prettyr strange. They want to promote exercice and health but they seems to not care about his fact... of course no one would die from a run but it's something to consider.
ReplyDeleteIs there an issue with just wearing a construction type mask as you go through the dye stations?
ReplyDeleteor a bandana?
ReplyDeleteas a registered respiratory therapist, someone educated specifically about airways and their pathologies, our lungs ARE built to remove solid particles, that is why we have a mucociliary escalator. The largest concern is really only with those who already have breathing disorders such as asthma or COPD. Those who do probably already shy away from these types of events anyways. The product is cornstarch dyed with food coloring and has been given a greenlight by the FDA.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this article. Every time I hear or see about a color run I think "that's got to be bad for you to breath especially while running; why doesn't everyone get that?" It seems like a no brainer to me. I do spend a lot more time thinking about air quality, I don't burn candles (or anything else) in my house and I'm careful to dust regularly. That said, I still feel it should be obvious to most people that breathing particulates while your breathing heavy is bad. Oh well, I'll keep beating my drum and hope that more people are helped by it. Thanks again for adding your drum to the circle.
ReplyDeleteWe just had this 'Color Run', the self proclaimed 'happiest run in the world', in Singapore. Not so happy for those cleaning up after it.
ReplyDeleteI am signed up to do my second COLORMERAD run in Morgantown WV...the first one, I didnt know what to expect, but it looked like fun...there is not cornstarch being breathed in the entire run...there are color stations where they toss it on you, but I pulled my t-shirt over my face when running through, and I was fine. This year I will take a mask to wear for the starting line, where the party starts with a mass of color clouds. You CAN request they don't throw it on you as you go through the color stations. It wasnt
ReplyDeleteas extreme here as many pictures I've seen posted at other events. I do not think it's a good idea to breathe this in, but it's a short race and everyone has a good time...I have breathed in wood dust for years as a factory worker, so in comparison, it's a breathe of fresh air. We all need to use common sense and make our own choices,
Just learned of an Oct. 2014 color run in Painesville, Ohio. I decided to research it due to similar concerns. While this study researched the powder used to keep medical gloves from sticking (a minimal amount of purified cornstarch and no dye), it amplifies my concerns. The event will also take place adjacent to a river. I can't see this as environmentally friendly without impact studies.
ReplyDeleteEur Respir J. 2003 Apr;21(4):646-51.
Lung accumulations of eosinophil granulocytes after exposure to cornstarch glove powder.
Grunewald J1, Eklund A, Katchar K, Moshfegh A, Lidén C, Lundgren L, Skare L, Tornling G.
Author information
Abstract
Starch is a main component of wheat flour, which, besides being an occupational allergen can also induce irritative symptoms in the airways. A purified starch product (cornstarch glove powder) was used to investigate whether starch alone could induce airway inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate a role for starch in wheat flour-induced airway inflammation. Ten healthy individuals were exposed to cornstarch glove powder in a whole-body exposure chamber. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed 2-3 weeks before and 1 day after exposure, and the BAL cells were counted differentially. In addition, the expression of activation, adhesion and subset markers on alveolar macrophages and BAL T-cells were investigated using flow cytometry. A three-fold increase in BAL cell concentrations was found, with a selective accumulation and activation of eosinophilic granulocytes, as well as an influx of nonactivated monocytes and polyclonal CD4+ T-cells into the airways. The results show that inhalation of cornstarch glove powder leads to the development of a subclinical inflammation in the airways, with an accumulation of eosinophilic granulocytes. The authors suggest that such exposure may be an interesting model for studying factors contributing to lung accumulations of eosinophil granulocytes in humans.
PMID:
12762351
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
I ran my first Color Run 2 years ago in Nashville, TN. Someone told me to be sure to wear a bandana over my nose and mouth as I ran through the color. I did so, and still could hardly breath. I was definitely in the minority with my protective shield. In addition, most younger participants were not only running through it, but rolling in it. That was my first and last. I will stick to my boring, cleaner air runs. I cringe to imagine the health problems repeated participants will endeavor in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteI volunteered at the Run or Dye event in the uk and I was on the purple dye station. The dye has not washed out of my hair and I am now left with a full head of pink hair and it is a month since I helped out. The hair cannot be colour corrected by a hairdresser as when they took a sample piece to test it broke off. They are not a charity they are a profit making company.Beware of Run or Dye
ReplyDeleteWhen my children's elementary school posted a video link for an upcoming color event I immediately thought there is no way I will allow my children to INHALE synthetically colored corn starch or any cornstarch for that matter. Lungs are meant to receive oxygen. It concerns me that all parents do not find this to be a hazard.
ReplyDelete