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Does wearing a facemask decrease arterial blood oxygenation and impair exercise tolerance? Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2021 Dec;294:103765

Date

08/06/2021

Pubmed ID

34352384

Pubmed Central ID

PMC9715989

DOI

10.1016/j.resp.2021.103765

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85112433796 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   18 Citations

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Concerns have been raised that COVID-19 face coverings compromise lung function and pulmonary gas exchange to the extent that they produce arterial hypoxemia and hypercapnia during high intensity exercise resulting in exercise intolerance in recreational exercisers. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of a surgical, flannel or vertical-fold N95 masks on cardiorespiratory responses to incremental exercise.

METHODS: This investigation studied 11 adult males and females at rest and while performing progressive cycle exercise to exhaustion. We tested the hypotheses that wearing a surgical (S), flannel (F) or horizontal-fold N95 mask compared to no mask (control) would not promote arterial deoxygenation or exercise intolerance nor alter primary cardiovascular variables during submaximal or maximal exercise.

RESULTS: Despite the masks significantly increasing end-expired peri-oral %CO2 and reducing %O2, each ∼0.8-2% during exercise (P < 0.05), our results supported the hypotheses. Specifically, none of these masks reduced sub-maximal or maximal exercise arterial O2 saturation (P = 0.744), but ratings of dyspnea were significantly increased (P = 0.007). Moreover, maximal exercise capacity was not compromised nor were there any significant alterations of primary cardiovascular responses (mean arterial pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output) found during sub-maximal exercise.

CONCLUSION: Whereas these results are for young healthy recreational male and female exercisers and cannot be applied directly to elite athletes, older or patient populations, they do support that arterial hypoxemia and exercise intolerance are not the obligatory consequences of COVID-19-indicated mask-wearing at least for cycling exercise.

Author List

Ade CJ, Turpin VG, Parr SK, Hammond ST, White Z, Weber RE, Schulze KM, Colburn TD, Poole DC

Author

Stephen T. Hammond Postdoctoral Fellow in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Exercise Tolerance
Female
Humans
Male
Masks
Oxygen