Performing moderate to severe activity is safe and tolerable for healthy youth while wearing a cloth facemask

by Felipe Miguel Marticorena, Gabriel Castanho Barreto, Natália Mendes Guardieiro, Gabriel Perri Esteves, Tamires Nunes Oliveira, Luana Farias de Oliveira, Ana Lucia de Sá Pinto, Luiz Riani, Danilo Mendes Prado, Bryan Saunders, Bruno Gualano

Objective

To investigate if a cloth facemask could affect physiological and perceptual responses to exercise at distinct exercise intensities in healthy young individuals.

Methods

Nine participants (sex, female/male: 6/3; age: 13±1 years; VO_2peak: 44.5±5.5 mL/kg/min) underwent a progressive square-wave test at four intensities: (1) 80% of ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), (2) VAT, and (3) 40% between VAT and V˙O2peak wearing a triple-layered cloth facemask or not. Participants then completed a final stage to exhaustion at a running speed equivalent to the maximum achieved during the cardio-respiratory exercise test (Peak). Physiological, metabolic, and perceptual measures were measured.

Results

Mask did not affect spirometry (forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume; all p≥0.27), respiratory (inspiratory capacity, end-expiratory volume [EELV] to functional vital capacity ratio, EELV, respiratory frequency [Rf], tidal volume [VT], Rf/VT, end-tidal carbo dioxide pressure, ventilatory equivalent to carbon dioxide ratio; all p≥0.196), hemodynamic (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure; all p>0.41), ratings of perceived exertion (p = 0.04) or metabolic measures (lactate; p = 0.78) at rest or at any exercise intensity.

Conclusions

This study shows that performing moderate to severe activity is safe and tolerable for healthy youth while wearing a cloth facemask.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04887714.