The Effect of Surgical Mask Use in Anaerobic Running Performance

Abstract

COVID-19 restrictions stipulate the mandatory use of surgical masks during outdoor and indoor physical activities. The impact of this on athletic performance and especially on anaerobic physical activities is poorly known. The aim of the present research was to analyze the effect of surgical mask use on the anaerobic running performance of athletes. Modifications in running time, blood lactate, blood glucose, blood oxygen saturation, subjective perceived stress, rating of perceived exertion, and heart rate variability were measured in 50 m and 400 m maximal running tests with and without the use of surgical masks in 72 athletes. The use of a surgical mask increased blood lactate concentration, sympathetic autonomic modulation, perceived exertion, perceived stress, and decreased blood oxygen saturation in 50 and 400 m running tests. Thus, the higher levels of blood lactate and lower blood oxygen saturation require adaptation of the athlete’s rest and recovery periods to the acute workload. The higher level of sympathetic activation makes the acute and chronic control of autonomic modulation essential for an efficient training periodization. Finally, the use of acid buffers such as bicarbonate or sodium citrate would be a recommended ergogenic strategy.

Effects of Wearing a Mask During Exercise on Physiological and Psychological Outcomes in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Most included studies were randomized crossover studies ( n = 42), while two studies were randomized controlled trials [ 24 , 25 ] and one study used a non-randomized repeated measure [ 26 ]. Except for three studies that involved children [ 27 – 29 ], all the other studies involved adults, including athletes ( n = 3) [ 30 – 32 ], recreational athletes ( n = 2) [ 33 , 34 ], and healthy adults ( n = 37) [ 3 , 12 – 15 , 18 , 24 – 26 , 35 – 62 ], with a total of 1264 participants (708 men, 556 women) included. Overall, 37 studies included both men and women, while eight included only men.…”

“…Overall, 22 studies used a progressive exercise test [ 3 , 12 , 14 , 18 , 24 , 26 , 30 , 35 , 36 , 39 , 41 , 43 – 45 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 53 – 55 , 59 , 60 ], while 19 employed the steady-state constant exercise test [ 13 , 15 , 25 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 52 , 56 – 58 , 61 , 62 ], and two used interval exercise tests [ 28 , 32 ]. Moreover, one study used a resistance exercise test [ 33 ], and one used a sit-to-stand test [ 27 ].…”

“…Lactate levels were reported in seven studies [ 3 , 30 , 34 , 38 , 42 , 44 , 53 ], but no significant changes were observed in the total effect (MD − 0.15 mmol/L, 95% CI − 1.19 to 0.89; p = 0.78, I 2 = 82%). Similarly, no significant differences were observed for those wearing surgical masks ( p = 0.87) and FFP2/N95 ( p = 0.06), as shown in Fig.…”

“…For the psychological outcomes, RPE was the most commonly used scale reported in 27 studies [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 27 , 28 , 30 – 34 , 36 , 38 , 41 , 42 , 44 – 48 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 56 – 60 ]. Two studies were excluded because of the unavailability of raw data [ 27 , 48 ].…”

“…A total of 25 studies evaluated exercise performance, and 23 studies were included in the meta-analysis, as data were unavailable for two studies [ 27 , 39 ]. Most studies used power output ( n = 13) [ 3 , 28 , 30 , 41 – 43 , 45 , 48 , 51 , 53 – 55 , 59 ], while others used test duration ( n = 6) [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 32 , 50 , 60 ], exercise speed ( n = 2) [ 34 , 35 ], and exercise distance ( n = 2) [ 13 , 25 ]. WebPlotDigitizer was used for data extraction from one study [ 55 ].…”