title: Cycling exercise classes may be bad for your (hearing) health.
abstract: 1) Determine feasibility of smartphone-based mobile technology to measure noise exposure; and 2) measure noise exposure in exercise spin classes.
  
  
  
  Observational Study.
  
  
  
  The SoundMeter Pro app (Faber Acoustical, Salt Lake City, UT) was installed and calibrated on iPhone and iPod devices in an audiology chamber using an external sound level meter to within 2 dBA of accuracy. Recording devices were placed in the bike cupholders of participants attending spin classes in Boston, Massachusetts (n = 17) and used to measure sound level (A-weighted) and noise dosimetry during exercise according to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines.
  
  
  
  The average length of exposure was 48.9 ± 1.2 (standard error of the mean) minutes per class. Maximum sound recorded among 17 random classes was 116.7 dBA, which was below the NIOSH instantaneous exposure guideline of 140 dBA. An average of 31.6 ± 3.8 minutes were spent at >100 dBA. This exceeds NIOSH recommendations of 15 minutes of exposure or less at 100 dBA per day. Average noise exposure for one 45-minute class was 8.95 ± 1.2 times the recommended noise exposure dose for an 8-hour workday.
  
  
  
  Preliminary data shows that randomly sampled cycling classes may have high noise levels with a potential for noise-induced hearing loss. Mobile dosimetry technology may enable users to self-monitor risk to their hearing and actively engage in noise protection measures.
  
  
  
  NA Laryngoscope, 127:1873-1877, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Sumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Elliott D
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0305-0682
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kozin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Naunheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Leanna W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Tiffany M N
authors.initials: TMN
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Ishmael J M
authors.initials: IJM
authors.lastname: Stefanov-Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Aaron K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Remenschneider
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D055539:MP3-Player; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D000068997:Smartphone
keywords: Exercise spin class; cycling; mobile phone technology; noise dosimetry; noise exposure; noise-induced hearing loss