Effect of cloth masks and N95 respirators on maximal exercise performance in collegiate athletes.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Carnahan SP ; Carpenter T ; Darnell ME ; Doperak JM ; Meglino N ; Quinn TD ; Yorio, Patrick L.
• Description:
  This study compared exercise performance and comfort while wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (N95), cloth mask, or no intervention control for source control during a maximal graded treadmill exercise test (GXT). Twelve Division 1 athletes (50% female, age = 20.1 +/- 1.2, BMI = 23.5 +/- 1.6) completed GXTs under three randomized conditions (N95, cloth mask, control). GXT duration, heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2), transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcPCO2), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and perceived comfort were measured. Participants ran significantly longer in control (26.06 min) versus N95 (24.20 min, p = 0.03) or cloth masks (24.06 min, p = 0.04). No differences occurred in the slope of HR or SpO2 across conditions (p > 0.05). TcPCO2 decreased faster in control (B = -0.89) versus N95 (B = 0.14, p = 0.02) or cloth masks (B = -0.26, p = 0.03). RR increased faster in control (B = 8.32) versus cloth masks (B = 6.20, p = 0.04). RPE increased faster in the N95 (B = 1.91) and cloth masks (B = 1.79) versus control (B = 1.59, p < 0.001 and p = 0.05, respectively). Facial irritation/itching/pinching was higher in the N95 versus cloth masks, but sweat/moisture buildup was lower (p < 0.05 for all). Wearing cloth masks or N95s for source control may impact exercise performance, especially at higher intensities. Significant physiological differences were observed between cloth masks and N95s compared to control, while no physiological differences were found between cloth masks and N95s; however, comfort my differ. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Athletes Communicable Diseases Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Athletes; Physical Exercise; Face Masks; Respiratory Protective Equipment; Personal Protective Equipment; PPE; COVID-19; N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators; Author Keywords: COVID-19; Face Covering; Graded Exercise Test; Personal Protective Equipment
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  13
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065694
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jul; 19(13):7586
• Contact Point Address:
  Matthew E. Darnell, Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 3860 South Water Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203, USA
• Email:
  med30@pitt.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance ; Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:73cacec9330da51b7541ebeb1e0129c2ec03e76f320b7a2b08b2eb89043b49d3b25c55f22ee8bb00198a067fdf5f978e77ab26752907685a55a998fb663a1a62
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249513/cdc_249513_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 663.00 KB ]