Wearing of Cloth or Disposable Surgical Face Masks has no Effect on Vigorous Exercise Performance in Healthy Individuals

Keely Shaw, Scotty Butcher, Jongbum Ko, Gordon A. Zello and Philip D. Chilibeck
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Keely Shaw: College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B2, Canada
Scotty Butcher: School of Rehabilitation Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada
Jongbum Ko: College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B2, Canada
Gordon A. Zello: College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Philip D. Chilibeck: College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B2, Canada

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-9

Abstract: Wearing face masks is recommended for the prevention of contracting or exposing others to cardiorespiratory infections, such as COVID-19. Controversy exists on whether wearing face masks during vigorous exercise affects performance. We used a randomized, counterbalanced cross-over design to evaluate the effects of wearing a surgical mask, a cloth mask, or no mask in 14 participants (7 men and 7 women; 28.2 ± 8.7 y) during a cycle ergometry test to exhaustion. Arterial oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry) and tissue oxygenation index (indicator of hemoglobin saturation/desaturation) at vastus lateralis (near-infrared spectroscopy) were assessed throughout the exercise tests. Wearing face masks had no effect on performance (time to exhaustion (mean ± SD): no mask 622 ± 141 s, surgical mask 657 ± 158 s, cloth mask 637 ± 153 s ( p = 0.20); peak power: no mask 234 ± 56 W, surgical mask 241 ± 57 W, cloth mask 241 ± 51 W ( p = 0.49)). When expressed relative to peak exercise performance, no differences were evident between wearing or not wearing a mask for arterial oxygen saturation, tissue oxygenation index, rating of perceived exertion, or heart rate at any time during the exercise tests. Wearing a face mask during vigorous exercise had no discernable detrimental effect on blood or muscle oxygenation, and exercise performance in young, healthy participants (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04557605).

Keywords: physical activity; coronavirus; maximal oxygen uptake; pulse oximetry; near-infrared spectroscopy; COVID-19; pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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