Effects of wearing cloth face masks during exercise

Editor's Note

This study led by the sports therapy and research department at Baylor Scott and White Health, Frisco, Texas, finds that cloth face masks led to a 14% reduction in exercise time and 29% decrease in VO₂max.

In this randomized controlled trial of 31 healthy adults (14 women, 17 men, aged 18 to 29), participants completed two (with and without a cloth face mask) maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests on a treadmill. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, exertion, and shortness of breath were measured.

Wearing a cloth face mask led to a significant reduction in exercise time, maximal oxygen consumption, minute ventilation, maximal heart rate, and increased dyspnea.

Compared with no masks, participants reported feeling increasingly short of breath and claustrophobic at higher exercise intensities.

The findings indicate that wearing a cloth face mask significantly impairs exercise performance, the authors say. Coaches, trainers, and athletes should be aware of the effect of cloth face coverings on exercise safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.