Playing masked sport: the idea seems absurd. It is difficult to imagine producing an effort with what may seem to be a brake on breathing … However, it is the only tool to protect yourself from Covid-19, without social distancing. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, wearing a mask while playing sports would be no problem!
Healthy men and women (7 on each side) were studied during a sporting effort wearing a mask. They were asked to ride indoor bikes to their maximum level. They did this test three times, under three different conditions: once without a mask, once with a cloth mask, and once with a surgical mask.
A way to reopen the gyms?
The researchers wanted to analyze several factors: the duration of the sporting effort until exhaustion on the one hand, but also their oxygen levels in the blood and muscles. And, while the mask can sometimes make you feel like you’re breathing less well, scientists have pointed out that it doesn’t interfere with oxygenation in any way.
So, in theory, playing masked sports wouldn’t change anything. However, the study does not specify whether the subjects reached exhaustion more quickly when they were equipped with a mask or not. The interesting point that the doctors wanted to emphasize is the following: as exercising with a mask does not endanger health, it would be possible to reopen the gyms, provided that all members wear the mask.
Read also:
- Sport at home: 15 tips for doing sport (without equipment) at home
- Containment: what sports are allowed?
