PAULA RADCLIFFE and other British athletes competing in next year’s Olympics are to be put on a special diet to help their bodies cope with the threat from Beijing’s polluted air.

UK Athletics, the governing body for British track and field sports, said last week it had identified foods and supplements most likely to improve lung function in Beijing, one of the world’s most polluted cities. Other teams are researching whether their athletes should wear face masks if the Chinese authorities fail to curb the high levels of pollution.

There are concerns that the pollution could reduce the chances of world records being set in outdoor events. The International Olympic Committee has warned it will consider rescheduling events because of the smog that can blight Beijing.

Dr Bruce Hamilton, chief medical officer for UK Athletics, confirmed last week that British athletes would be given a diet to help them cope with pollution. “There is clear evidence that having antioxidants, for instance, can help reduce the effects of pollution on the body,” he said.

Hamilton said research suggested that extra vitamin C and vitamin E could improve respiratory function. He said UK Athletics had also evaluated the impact of other nutrient levels and athletes would be given a tailored diet for “optimum” protection.

He declined to give details as he said other athletes were keen to “snoop” for extra advantage.

The diet is likely to be of particular interest to Radcliffe, 34, because she has asthma and has consulted experts on how to cope with Beijing’s heat, humidity and pollution. At the Olympics in Athens, she broke down with exhaustion at the roadside. Another British medal hope who may be affected is the sprinter Marlon Devonish, who suffers from hay fever.

Figures published last week reveal the scale of the task facing the Chinese. On Friday - as smog enveloped Beijing - the level of smoke and dust particles measuring 10 micrometres or less, known as PM10, was monitored at more than 600 micrograms per cubic metre. This reading was a record for 2007 and was 12 times the maximum recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). By comparison, the reading in Athens on Friday was below 70, and in London below 40.

The National Environment Monitoring Centre in China warns that physical endurance “drops down” with high pollution. It says old people should stay indoors in such conditions and everyone should “avoid outdoor activities”.

Beijing lies in a basin sheltered by a mountain range to the west, and thick smog can blanket the city for days. The pollution is blamed on smoke from factories, construction works and dust storms blown in from the Mongolian plains.

It is hoped that by next summer, when the Games are held, the PM10 levels will be below 150 micrograms per cubic metre, as they were last August. But this level is still three times higher than the WHO-recommended safe level.

Beijing has invested more than £8 billion in environmental initiatives to combat pollution, but a report by the United Nations in October warned there might not be enough time to clear pollutants for the Olympics.

In an Olympic mountain-bike test event in Beijing in September, the American rider Adam Craig was among the competitors who dropped out complaining of the “horrible” air quality.

“My lungs stopped working,” he said afterwards in a website diary entry. “It started with a routine deep breath on a descent to recover a bit, which produced a sharp pain and a fit of hacking, then progressed rapidly to a state where I was unable to take more than quarter of a breath.”

Frank Filiberto, a doctor for the American Olympic boxing team, said he was shocked by the effects of pollution during an event last month. He said four out of 10 US boxers who jogged outside returned with breathing problems. “From that day on, they ran in the hotel corridors with the other teams,” he said.

It is not the first time competitors have had to contend with pollution. Mexico City hosted the games in 1968 and, despite the heavy pollution, a number of records were broken. In 1984, the British runner Steve Ovett collapsed with breathing problems after the 800m final in Los Angeles and said pollution had made his asthma worse.

The quality of air in Beijing is unpredictable. On one day visibility can be a few yards, but on “blue sky” days it is possible to see the Fragrant Mountains to the west.

Qian Ye, who will be in charge of weather forecasting for the Olympics, said: “No one is denying the situation is bad. The Beijing authorities are doing what they can to reduce the problem and I’m pretty confident the situation will be better next year.”

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