Wearing a face mask has only a modest effect on the ability of healthy people to exercise vigorously, according to a study published today (Monday) in European Respiratory Journal [1].
The researchers performed detailed tests on breathing, heart activity and exercise performance in a group of 12 people while using a bicycle with or without a mask.
Although they found differences in some measurements between wearing a mask and not wearing a mask, they say that none of their results indicate any health risk. This suggests that masks could be worn safely during strenuous exercise, for example to reduce COVID-19 transmission between people visiting an indoor gym.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers, including Dr. Elisabetta Salvioni from Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy, and Dr. Massimo Mapelli and Professor Piergiuseppe Agostoni from Centro Cardiologico Monzino and the University of Milan.
Dr. Salvioni said: “We know that the main route of coronavirus transmission is through drops in respiration and it is possible that more intense breathing during exercise will facilitate transmission, especially indoors. Research suggests that wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of the disease. , but there is no clear evidence that the masks are safe to wear during vigorous exercise. “
To address this question, the researchers worked with a group of healthy volunteers consisting of six women and six men with an average age of 40 years. Each person participated in three rounds of exercise tests: once while not wearing a face mask, once wearing a surgical mask (blue, disposable mask), and once wearing a “filter mask 2” or FFP2 mask. (white, disposable mask that is thought to provide slightly better protection than a surgical mask).
While the volunteers used an exercise bike, the researchers measured their breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.
The test results showed that wearing a face mask had little effect on the volunteers. For example, there was an average reduction of about ten percent in their ability to perform aerobic exercise (depending on the “peak VO2”, which is a measure of the highest possible oxygen consumption).
The results also indicate that this reduction was probably caused by the fact that the volunteers were a little harder to breathe and breathe through masks.
Dr Mapelli said: “This reduction is modest and essentially does not suggest a risk to healthy people exercising with a face mask, even when working at full capacity. While we expect more people to be vaccinated against COIVD -19, this finding could have practical implications for everyday life, for example, it could make the opening of indoor gyms safer.
However, we should not assume that the same is true for people with heart or lung disease. We need to do more research to investigate this question.
The team is now studying the impact of wearing a face mask while performing daily activities, such as climbing stairs or doing household chores, on healthy people and those with heart or lung problems.
Professor Agostoni added: “COVID-19 has hit our region and our hospital so hard, with devastating effects on a personal, professional and organizational level. Despite this, this was one of the many studies conducted enthusiastically by our young researchers.
We are particularly proud of this work, as it began spontaneously in our spare time during the otherwise depressing period of the current pandemic, and our findings demonstrate the need for clinical research, even during an emergency.
Professor Sam Bayat of the University Hospital Grenoble, France, is the Chair of the Group of Clinical Respiratory Physiology, Exercise and Functional Imaging of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and has not been involved in research. He said: “There are still gaps in our knowledge about how to limit the spread of COVID-19, but we believe that face masks have a role to play and we are used to wearing face masks in public spaces such as shops, trains. and buses.
“Although these results are preliminary and need to be confirmed with larger groups of people, they seem to suggest that these masks can be worn safely for indoor sports and fitness activities, with a tolerable impact on performance.”
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