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Several studies have analyzed the impact of the use of surgical masks on cardiovascular and subjective responses to exercise. However, these masks are not widely used, and few studies have looked at the impact of cloth masks. The results of a small clinical trial, published online in the journal British Journal of Sports Medicine, reveal that using a cloth face covering reduces performance and physical capacity during exercise, especially at the highest intensity.
Users also reported increased shortness of breath and claustrophobia with higher exercise intensities, leading the researchers to the changing the frequency, intensity, duration and type of exercise performed when wearing a cloth mask. According to the researchers, recommendations on the use of masks during exercise vary around the world and the physiological impact of using cloth masks during exercise is poorly understood.
In an attempt to close this knowledge gap, the researchers compared the sports performance of 31 healthy adults aged 18-29 running on a treadmill until exhaustion, once with a cloth mask and once without.
Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, exercise, and dyspnea were measured and recorded after a 3-minute warm-up, during the exercise test, and 7 minutes after completion (recovery period). They were asked to rate their experiences wearing a face mask, including comfort, temperature, and breathability, immediately after they completed the masked test.
Participants used to perform an average of 170 minutes / week of moderate physical activity and 206 minutes / week of vigorous physical activity. None of them smoked cigarettes, although three said they smoked marijuana and five participants reported a history of medically controlled asthma. T.res of four said they had worn a face mask while exercising before participating in the study, and 19 (61%) said their training center needed it.
Analysis of the recorded data showed that, compared to not wearing a cloth face mask, their use resulted in a significant reduction in training time (14%) and from physiological measurements of capacity, including maximum oxygen consumption (29% reduction) and maximum heart rate, as well as increased shortness of breath.
These changes reflected the intensity of the exercise and were attributed to the discomfort experienced with the use of the mask. They disappeared after the 7-minute recovery period, when the results of the two tests were no longer different.
Claustrophobia and shortness of breath
Compared to not wearing a cloth face mask, the participants reported feeling increasing shortness of breath and claustrophobia with higher exercise intensities while wearing one. Most participants (30) agreed or strongly agreed that it was more difficult to make maximum effort during the test while wearing a mask.
The answers were: “more difficult than last time”, “I got tired more quickly; it didn’t affect me while walking, it affected me while jogging”, especially at higher intensity “running was harder than normal, breathing got harder as I accelerated / incline increased, “” I felt short of breath, felt like I couldn’t breathe deeply “and” I had to take a deeper breath to get the same amount of air. “
Participants mentioned that too they felt ‘claustrophobic’, ‘suffocated’ and ‘anxious’ while wearing the mask and breathing “shorter and shallower with the face covered”. None of them reported that the moisture or weight of the mask hindered their performance or forced them to interrupt the stress test.
Because our results do not fully explain how mask use could directly limit cardiovascular function, our conclusion is that the discomfort associated with mask use, as evidenced by higher scores for breathlessness in mask condition and qualitative comments from the participants, led directly to reduced performance“, the researchers suggest.
“Our results have different implications for training and performance while wearing a cloth face mask, ‘they add. First, since wearing a cloth mask reduced exercise performance, peak VO2 and related variables, the exercise variables of frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity should be adjusted accordingly. “.
“Second,” he continues, “training goals can be modified to reflect reduced performance and the psychological impact of wearing a cloth mask, while promoting the safe achievement of goals.”