Impact of wearing a facial covering on aerobic exercise capacity in the COVID-19 era: is it more than a feeling?

Kampert, Matthew; Singh, Tamanna; Finet, J. Emanuel; Iterson, Erik H. Van

doi:10.1007/s00392-020-01725-7

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…For this very reason, it seems remarkable that the subjective TLX ratings show no evidence of favoring one of the conditions, not even on a descriptive level. Mainly since the subjective assessment includes an item asking for physical demand that might capture aspects such as wearing comfort (e.g., 49 reported "marked discomfort" of the participants wearing FFP2 masks, although the study, in general, is heavily debated, see 50 , 51 . Other subjective reports also mentioned comfort limitations, e.g., discomfort if the wearer has facial hair 52 or the problem of subjective difficulty to breathe 53 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The tiny effects of respiratory masks on physiological, subjective, and behavioral measures under mental load in a randomized controlled trial

Spang

Pieper

2021

Sci Rep

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Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), face coverings are recommended to diminish person-to-person transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some public debates concern claims regarding risks caused by wearing face masks, like, e.g., decreased blood oxygen levels and impaired cognitive capabilities. The present, pre-registered study aims to contribute clarity by delivering a direct comparison of wearing an N95 respirator and wearing no face covering. We focused on a demanding situation to show that cognitive efficacy and individual states are equivalent in both conditions. We conducted a randomized-controlled crossover trial with 44 participants. Participants performed the task while wearing an N95 FFR versus wearing none. We measured physiological (blood oxygen saturation and heart rate variability), behavioral (parameters of performance in the task), and subjective (perceived mental load) data to substantiate our assumption as broadly as possible. We analyzed data regarding both statistical equivalence and differences. All of the investigated dimensions showed statistical equivalence given our pre-registered equivalence boundaries. None of the dimensions showed a significant difference between wearing an FFR and not wearing an FFR.Trial Registration: Preregistered with the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/c2xp5 (15/11/2020). Retrospectively registered with German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00024806 (18/03/2021).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The tiny effects of respiratory masks on physiological, subjective, and behavioral measures under mental load in a randomized controlled trial

Spang

Pieper

2021

Sci Rep

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“…In addition, there are claims that face masks reduce cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and increase subjective breathing resistance, with these effects being more pronounced with FFP2/N95 in comparison to surgical masks [13,14]. Nevertheless, some authors have questioned the validity of these findings, claiming that these results should in no way serve as a basis for avoiding mask use during exercise [14][15][16]. In view of the accumulated evidence, it is plausible to expect that wearing face masks during low-intensity endurance exercise may have an impact on the IOP behavior, which may have important implications for the management of glaucoma patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraocular pressure responses to walking with surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks in primary open-angle glaucoma patients

Janićijević

Redondo

Jiménez

et al. 2021

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol

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Purpose The use of face mask is globally recommended as a preventive measure against COVID-19. However, the intraocular pressure (IOP) changes caused by face masks remain unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of wearing surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks during a 400-m walking protocol on IOP in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. Methods Thirteen subjects diagnosed of POAG (21 eyes) were enrolled in this study. IOP was measured at baseline, during the 400-m walking protocol and after 5 min of passive recovery while POAG patients wore a surgical mask, FFP2/N95 mask and no mask in randomized order. From the 21 POAG eyes, we analyzed the IOP changes caused by physical exercise with two face masks and without wearing any face mask. Results At rest (baseline and recovery measurements), the use of the different face masks did not affect IOP levels (mean differences ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 mmHg). During physical activity, wearing an FFP2/N95 mask caused a small (mean differences ranging from 1 to 2 mmHg), but statistically significant, IOP rise in comparison to both the surgical mask and control conditions (Cohen’s d = 0.63 and 0.83, respectively). Conclusion Face masks must be used to minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and POAG patients can safely use FFP2/N95 and surgical masks at rest. However, due to the IOP rise observed while walking with the FFP2/N95 mask, when possible, POAG patients should prioritized the use of surgical masks during physical activity.

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“…For this very reason it seems remarkable that the subjective TLX ratings show no evidence of favoring one of the conditions, not even on a descriptive level. Mainly since the subjective assessment includes an item asking for physical demand, that might capture aspects such as wearing comfort (e.g., [25] reported "marked discomfort" of the participants wearing FFP masks, although the study, in general, is heavily debated, see [26], [27]). Therefore, it seems to be an even greater con rmation that wearing a mask does not limit the wearer's performance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Tiny Impact of Respiratory Masks - on Physiological, Subjective and Behavioral Measures under Mental Load

Spang¹,

Pieper²

2020

Preprint

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Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks is recommended to prevent droplets from traveling from one person to another. A commandment to wear masks applies in most public places to contain the widespread of the virus. Some public debates concern myths regarding risks caused by wearing a mask, like, e.g., decreased blood oxygen levels and impaired cognitive capabilities. The present, pre-registered study aims to contribute clarity by delivering a direct comparison of wearing an FFP2 (N95) respirator and wearing no mask. We focused on a demanding situation to show that cognitive efficacy and the person's state is equivalent in both conditions of a randomized-controlled cross-over study design. We measured physiological (blood oxygen saturation and heart rate variability), behavioral (parameters of performance in the task), and subjective (perceived mental load) data to substantiate our assumption as broad as possible. We analyzed data from 44 participants regarding both statistical equivalence and differences. All of the investigated dimensions showed statistical equivalence given our pre-registered equivalence boundaries. None of the dimensions showed a significant difference between wearing a mask and not wearing a mask.

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Impact of wearing a facial covering on aerobic exercise capacity in the COVID-19 era: is it more than a feeling?

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

The tiny effects of respiratory masks on physiological, subjective, and behavioral measures under mental load in a randomized controlled trial

The tiny effects of respiratory masks on physiological, subjective, and behavioral measures under mental load in a randomized controlled trial

Intraocular pressure responses to walking with surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks in primary open-angle glaucoma patients

The Tiny Impact of Respiratory Masks - on Physiological, Subjective and Behavioral Measures under Mental Load

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