{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]],"date-time":"2025-10-02T06:15:05Z","timestamp":1759385705979,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]],"date-time":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759363200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are urban combustion by-products linked to endocrine disruption, but their direct molecular interactions with testosterone remain under-characterized. Using DFT [B3LYP\/6\u2013311\u202f+\u202fG(d,p)] and 10-ns all-atom MD, we quantified non-covalent binding between benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene and testosterone, observing size-dependent stabilization (anthracene most favorable). Complementary MEP, Mulliken charge, and FMO analyses indicated progressive electronic coupling consistent with <jats:italic>\u03c0<\/jats:italic>\u2013\u03c0 and hydrophobic packing. In a semester-long controlled program with male university students (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f60), we compared identical training conducted in a polluted urban area (PM<jats:sub>2.5<\/jats:sub>\u202f&amp;gt;\u202f50\u202f\u03bcg\u00b7m<jats:sup>\u22123<\/jats:sup>) vs. a suburban green zone (PM<jats:sub>2.5<\/jats:sub>\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f10\u202f\u03bcg\u00b7m<jats:sup>\u22123<\/jats:sup>) and observed larger gains in 100-m sprint, pull-ups, and standing long jump under cleaner air. We now report 95% confidence intervals alongside effect sizes for all field outcomes and provide a correlation between pollution intensity and performance change. PM<jats:sub>2.5<\/jats:sub> was used as an operational exposure index because combustion-related PAHs predominantly partition to fine particles and co-vary with PM\u2082.\u2085 mass in ambient air (WHO guideline context and PAH\u2013PM\u2082.\u2085 literature). Collectively, the molecular and field evidence suggests larger PAHs may perturb testosterone function and that cleaner air is associated with better short-term training gains, informing air-quality-aware scheduling and campus policy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1679354","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]],"date-time":"2025-10-02T05:33:07Z","timestamp":1759383187000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Regionally adaptive physical training for university students considering environmental and social disparities"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Svetlana","family":"Kondratenko","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Meruert","family":"Tuyakbaeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Galiya","family":"Madiyeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Saule","family":"Arkabaeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ali","family":"Zhalel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Natalia","family":"Shepetyuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1080\/16184742.2022.2126511","article-title":"Environmental sustainability in sport: a systematic literature review","volume":"23","author":"Cury","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur Sport Manage Q"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1123\/jsm.2019-0294","article-title":"Sport ecology: conceptualizing an emerging subdiscipline within sport management","volume":"34","author":"McCullough","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Sport Manage"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1040","DOI":"10.1080\/17430437.2015.1096251","article-title":"The green waves of environmental sustainability in sport","volume":"19","author":"McCullough","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sport Soc"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1177\/23727322231197583","article-title":"Testosterone, sex, and sport","volume":"10","author":"Casto","year":"2023","journal-title":"Policy Insights Behav Brain Sci"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"961","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-200737110-00004","article-title":"Genes, environment and sport performance: why the nature-nurture dualism is no longer relevant","volume":"37","author":"Davids","year":"2007","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-020-01389-3","article-title":"Transgender women in the female category of sport: perspectives on testosterone suppression and performance advantage","volume":"51","author":"Hilton","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1080\/1750984X.2014.885553","article-title":"The social environment in sport: selected topics","volume":"7","author":"Martin","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int Rev Sport Exerc Psychol"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e16521","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.16521","article-title":"Relationship between isokinetic strength of the knee joint and countermovement jump performance in elite boxers","volume":"11","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"PeerJ"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1566717","DOI":"10.3389\/FSPOR.2025.1566717","article-title":"An empirical comparative study on the diagnostic index system for techniques and tactics in men\u2019s table tennis during the ABS plastic ball era","volume":"7","author":"Xu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Sports Act Living"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2022.107193","article-title":"Large contribution of non-priority PAHs in atmospheric fine particles: insights from time-resolved measurement and nontarget analysis","volume":"163","author":"An","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18042177","article-title":"Exposure to atmospheric particulate matter-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their health effects: a review","volume":"18","author":"Yang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"234","DOI":"10.1249\/00149619-200408000-00011","article-title":"Anabolic-androgenic steroids and testosterone precursors: ergogenic aids and sport","volume":"3","author":"Foster","year":"2004","journal-title":"Curr Sports Med Rep"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1080\/15265161.2023.2232750","article-title":"Beyond suppressing testosterone: a categorical system to achieve a \u201clevel playing field\u201d in sport","volume":"24","author":"Jennings","year":"2024","journal-title":"Am J Bioeth"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21037\/tau-20-685","article-title":"Impact of environmental toxin exposure on male fertility potential","volume":"9","author":"Krzastek","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transl Androl Urol"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"607","DOI":"10.1080\/17430437.2019.1703684","article-title":"Good enough? The \u2018wicked\u2019 use of testosterone for defining femaleness in women\u2019s sport","volume":"24","author":"Schultz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sport Soc"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2022.781099","article-title":"The right inferior frontal gyrus plays an important role in unconscious information processing: activation likelihood estimation analysis based on functional magnetic resonance imaging","volume":"16","author":"Shi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Neurosci"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ando.2023.03.025","article-title":"Doping with testosterone and androgenic\/anabolic steroids: impact on health, screening tools and medical care","volume":"84","author":"Young","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann Endocrinol (Paris)"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare9010097","article-title":"Review adverse effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids: a literature review","volume":"9","author":"Albano","year":"2021","journal-title":"Healthcare"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2019.00916","article-title":"Low testosterone in Adolescents & Young Adults","volume":"10","author":"Cohen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1007\/s00216-008-2451-8","article-title":"Conjugated steroids: analytical approaches and applications","volume":"393","author":"Gomes","year":"2009","journal-title":"Anal Bioanal Chem"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.electacta.2013.10.024","article-title":"Sensitive voltammetric determination of testosterone in pharmaceuticals and human urine using a glassy carbon electrode in the presence of cationic surfactant","volume":"128","author":"Levent","year":"2014","journal-title":"Electrochim Acta"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121614","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2023.121614","article-title":"Focusing on testosterone levels in male: a half-longitudinal study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and diastolic blood pressure in coke oven workers","volume":"329","author":"Feng","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ Pollut"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/FENDO.2022.1037098","article-title":"Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites are positively related to serum testosterone levels of males and serum estradiol levels of females among U.S. adults","volume":"13","author":"Yuan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.10963","article-title":"Impact of pituitary-gonadal axis hormones on pulmonary arterial hypertension in men","volume":"72","author":"Wu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hypertension"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.5897\/sre2019.6603","article-title":"Principal air pollutants and their effects on athletes health and performance: a critical review","volume":"14","author":"Gashaw","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci Res Essays"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ATMOS16010004","article-title":"Perceived nuisance caused by air pollution on amateur endurance athletes\/exercisers: development of a psychometric scale","volume":"16","author":"Koskinas","year":"2025","journal-title":"Atmosphere"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.137161","article-title":"Athletes\u2019 exposure to air pollution during world athletics relays: a pilot study","volume":"717","author":"Reche","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1679354\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]],"date-time":"2025-10-02T05:33:07Z","timestamp":1759383187000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1679354\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]]},"references-count":27,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1679354"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1679354","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]]},"article-number":"1679354"}}