Does wearing a facemask decrease arterial blood oxygenation and impair exercise tolerance?
Respir Physiol Neurobiol
; 294: 103765, 2021 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34352384
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Concerns have been raised that COVID-19 face coverings compromise lung function and pulmonary gas exchange to the extent that they produce arterial hypoxemia and hypercapnia during high intensity exercise resulting in exercise intolerance in recreational exercisers. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of a surgical, flannel or vertical-fold N95 masks on cardiorespiratory responses to incremental exercise.METHODS:
This investigation studied 11 adult males and females at rest and while performing progressive cycle exercise to exhaustion. We tested the hypotheses that wearing a surgical (S), flannel (F) or horizontal-fold N95 mask compared to no mask (control) would not promote arterial deoxygenation or exercise intolerance nor alter primary cardiovascular variables during submaximal or maximal exercise.RESULTS:
Despite the masks significantly increasing end-expired peri-oral %CO2 and reducing %O2, each â¼0.8-2% during exercise (P < 0.05), our results supported the hypotheses. Specifically, none of these masks reduced sub-maximal or maximal exercise arterial O2 saturation (P = 0.744), but ratings of dyspnea were significantly increased (P = 0.007). Moreover, maximal exercise capacity was not compromised nor were there any significant alterations of primary cardiovascular responses (mean arterial pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output) found during sub-maximal exercise.CONCLUSION:
Whereas these results are for young healthy recreational male and female exercisers and cannot be applied directly to elite athletes, older or patient populations, they do support that arterial hypoxemia and exercise intolerance are not the obligatory consequences of COVID-19-indicated mask-wearing at least for cycling exercise.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Contexto em Saúde:
1_ASSA2030
/
2_ODS3
/
4_TD
Problema de saúde:
1_doencas_nao_transmissiveis
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2_muertes_prematuras_enfermedades_notrasmisibles
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4_pneumonia
Assunto principal:
Oxigênio
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Tolerância ao Exercício
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COVID-19
/
Máscaras
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Respir Physiol Neurobiol
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article