Are Face Masks Safe to Use During Intense Exercise? Here's What Experts Say

People may wear face masks comfortably during intense exercise while reducing the chance of COVID-19 spreading at indoor gyms, preliminary findings show.

They may, however, say that "their use is correlated with shortness of breath during exercise and the need for a greater respiratory effort even while at rest."

Experts published their study, "You Can Leave Your Mask on": Effects on Cardiopulmonary Parameters of Different Airway Protection Masks at Rest and During Maximal Exercise," in the European Respiratory Journal.

Can people wear masks while exercising during COVID-19? People should NOT wear masks when exercising as masks may reduce the ability to breathe comfortably. Posted by World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, June 16, 2020

How They Conducted The Study

Scientists from the Monzino Cardiology Centre (CCM) in Milan and the University of Milan measured the breathing rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, and six women and men's oxygen levels on exercise bikes with and without a mask.

Wearing a face mask decreased the participants' capacity to do physical exercise by around 10%, possibly because it was somewhat challenging to breathe through the mask.

"This reduction is modest and, crucially, it does not suggest a risk to healthy people doing exercise in a face mask, even when they are working to their highest capacity," said Dr. Massimo Mapelli, a cardiologist at the CCM. "While we wait for more people to be vaccinated against Covid-19, this finding could have practical implications in daily life, for example, potentially making it safer to open indoor gyms."

According to the results, there were variations in some measurements between wearing a mask and not wearing a mask. Overall, the study underscored that the masks should be worn securely during intensive exercise to limit COVID-19 transmission, such as between visitors to an indoor gym.

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However, scientists agree more research is needed to see if the same is true for people with heart or lung problems.

The participants, who were all fit 40-year-olds, went through three rounds of exercise. One was without a face mask, another had a single-use surgical mask, and the third had an FFP2 mask. According to the researchers, the thicker FFP2 mask reduced peak oxygen uptake by 10%, while the surgical mask had a slightly smaller effect.

Researchers are studying healthier individuals and those with heart and lung problems to see how wearing a face mask impacts people's ability to do normal tasks like housework or climbing stairs.

Prof Sam Bayat, a physiologist from Grenoble University hospital who was not involved in the study, told The Guardian that the results seem to indicate that face masks can also be worn comfortably for indoor sports and exercise events.

What Did CDC Say About Wearing Face Masks While Going to Gym?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), per VeryWell Health, advise residents to wear masks and follow other COVID-19 safety guidelines.

According to the CDC, gymgoers should wear a mask to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19, particularly during high-intensity workouts where they are more than or equal to six feet apart.

Since having signs or getting a positive COVID-19 examination, the CDC recommends that gyms "enforce physical distancing, increase airflow, and allow attendees to isolate."