Does wearing a mask while exercising amid COVID-19 pandemic affect hemodynamic and hematologic function among healthy individuals? Implications of mask modality, sex, and exercise intensity
Mehdi Ahmadian, Mohammad Ghasemi, Nafiseh Nasrollahi Borujeni, Samaneh Afshan, Masoumeh Fallah, Hamed Ayaseh, Mohammad Pahlavan, Seyedeh Maedeh Nabavi Chashmi, tahereh haeri, Fattaneh Imani, Foruzan Zahedmanesh, Abolfazl Akbari, Khadijeh Nasiri, Valiollah Dabidi Roshan
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We investigated how wearing a mask - and its modality (surgical vs. N95) - affect hemodynamic and hematologic function in males and females across two exercise intensities (submaximal (SUB) and maximal (MAX)). METHODS: = 24) for both sexes. Participants in each experimental group (N95SUB, N95MAX; SURSUB, SURMAX; SUB, MAX) were assessed for their hemodynamic and hematologic function at baseline and during recovery after exercise. RESULTS: No significant differences were noted for either hemodynamic or hematologic function at post-exercise as compared to baseline with regard to mask modality (P > 0.05). Heart rate (HR) for maximal intensity were significantly greater at 1 min post-exercise in N95 as compared to SURGICAL (P < 0.05). No differences were noted for hemodynamic and hematologic function with N95 and SURGICAL compared to NOMASK for either intensity (P > 0.05). Females showed significantly greater HR values at 1 min post-exercise in N95 as compared to NO MASK, but no significant differences were noted for hematological function between sexes (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that wearing a face mask (N95/surgical) while exercising has no detrimental effects on hemodynamic/hematologic function in both males and females, and suggest that wearing a mask, particularly a surgical mask, while exercising during the ongoing pandemic is safe and poses no risk to individual's health. Future studies examining physiological responses to chronic exercise with masks are warranted.