Face masks can be used safely during intense exercise and can reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading in indoor gyms, preliminary results suggest.
Scientists at the Monzino Cardiology Center (CCM) in Milan and the University of Milan tested the respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels of six women and men on stationary bikes, with and without a mask.
The use of facial coverage reduced participants’ ability to perform vigorous exercise by about 10%, probably because they found it a little more difficult to breathe through the mask, according to the article published in the European Respiratory Journal.
“This reduction is modest and, fundamentally, does not suggest a risk for healthy people who exercise with a face mask, even when they are working at their maximum capacity,” said Dr. Massimo Mapelli, cardiologist at CCM. “While we expect more people to be vaccinated against Covid-19, this discovery could have practical implications for daily life, for example, making it potentially safer to open indoor gyms.”
More research needs to be done to see if the same applies to people with heart or lung problems, say the scientists.
The volunteers, formed by healthy individuals with an average age of 40 years, did three rounds of exercises. One without a face mask, another with a disposable surgical mask and the last with an FFP2 mask. The thicker FFP2 mask resulted in a 10% reduction in peak oxygen consumption and the surgical mask had a marginally less impact, the researchers say.
Researchers are investigating whether wearing a face mask affects people’s ability to perform daily activities, such as household chores or climbing stairs, by examining healthy people with heart and lung problems.
Professor Sam Bayat, a physiologist at the University of Grenoble hospital, who was not involved in the research, said: “Although these results are preliminary and need to be confirmed with larger groups of people, they seem to suggest that the masks can also be used safely for indoor sports and fitness activities, with a tolerable impact on performance. “
Gyms and other indoor fitness facilities are expected to reopen in England after April 12. The current guideline says that people do not need to use a facial cover while exercising, but should do so on other occasions when using indoor leisure facilities. The government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports declined to comment on the Italian study.
A spokesman for UK Active, which represents gyms and leisure centers, said the study was “limited” and that broader research was needed before reporting the practice. In the meantime, “people should continue to follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization, which recommends that facial covers not be used while exercising,” said the spokesman.
“Gyms in the UK will be safe to reopen based on security measures approved by Sage already in place, which focus on social detachment, sanitation and ventilation – allowing visitors to return with confidence.”