The impact of transient air pollution exposure on worker performance in Chinese soccer players

Using a unique dataset on the performance of soccer players in China (retrieved from 632 matches involving 24 teams during the 2014 to 2016 seasons), we investigate the effect of air pollution on different performance indicators that rely on different mixtures of the physical and cognitive inputs of players. To ensure a causal interpretation, we implement an instrumental variable (IV) approach using thermal inversion as the instrument for air pollution. We found that players’ performance indicators, especially those more related to cognitive factors, are more strongly influenced by air pollution. One standard deviation (SD) increase in the Air Quality Index (AQI) leads to 2.5% decrease in the number of players’ passes and 5.1% increase in the number of fouls. However, for performance indicators that are more related to players’ physical condition, e.g., running distances, no such significant impact is identified. Overall, these findings suggest that the negative impact of short-term air pollution exposure on outdoor worker performance is mainly cognitive, which we believe could lead to important policy implications, not only for competitive sports but also across a much broader spectrum of business sectors.