Airborne respiratory diseases are transmitted via viruses in respiratory aerosol particles. The emission of such aerosol particles can increase by more than 100-fold from rest to maximal exercise and the risk of infection can increase by more than 10-fold, respectively. Our study shows that age is another important factor that affects respiratory aerosol particle emission, as subjects aged 60 to 76 years emit more than twice as many aerosol particles at rest and during exercise and five times as much aerosol volume. This suggests that aerosol particle emission increases when the respiratory system ages.

This is the third paper in a row in the PNAS Journal resulting from a highly productive collaboration of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics (Universität der Bundeswehr München), the  Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), and the Exercise Biology (Technical University of Munich).

The complete paper you can read here.

Reference:
Lung aerosol particle emission increases with age at rest and during exercise.
Schumm B, Bremer S, Knödlseder K, Schönfelder M, Hain R, Semmler L, Lorenz E, Jörres R, Wackerhage H, Kähler CJ.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 May 30;120(22):e2301145120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2301145120. Epub 2023 May 22.
PMID: 37216504

The project ExAero was funded by the DFG.