Wearing a mask during physical activity would not impede breathing or affect performance or oxygen levels in blood and muscles.
- After cycling an indoor cycle until they could no longer keep up, with or without a mask, participants’ blood and muscle oxygen levels did not differ.
- The researchers believe that this should justify the reopening of sports halls.
Is playing sports with your mask bad for your health? A new study, published on November 3 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests that there is no evidence to justify not wearing the mask during even intense physical exertion. “Our findings are important because they indicate that people can wear face masks during intense exercise with no adverse effects on performance and minimal impact on blood and muscle oxygenation.”, revealed the Canadian researchers from the University of Saskatchewan.
No difference with or without the mask
The researchers evaluated the use of a three-layer cloth face mask, recommended in Canada. “Results using a single layer cloth mask may differ”, they warn. The study was carried out on 14 active and healthy men and women. Data on the effects of diet, previous physical activity and sleep 24 hours before the tests were collected.
For the study, participants started pedaling on an indoor bike, gradually increasing the intensity until they could no longer maintain their pace. “Usually a participant reaches exhaustion on this test within six to 12 minutes depending on their fitness level”, adds Phil Chilibeck, co-author of the study. Each participant repeated the test three times: once with a surgical mask, once with a cloth mask and a final time without a mask. The researchers recorded oxygen levels in the blood and in the muscles throughout the test.
Reopen gyms
The results showed that wearing the mask did not alter participants’ blood and muscle oxygen levels. “This is important when fitness centers open during Covid-19 as respiratory droplets can be propelled further with heavy breathing during vigorous exercise and due to reports of Covid-19 clusters in closed exercise facilities crowded”, believes Phil Chilibeck.
The authors argue that this discovery could allow sports halls to reopen while respecting barrier gestures even during physical exercise. “If people wear masks during indoor exercises, it could make sessions safer and allow gyms to stay open during Covidthe researchers wrote. It could also allow sports to continue, including hockey, where COVID-19 transmission appears to be high..”
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