Preliminary findings suggest that face masks can be worn safely during intense exercise, and the risk of covid-19 spreading in the inner gym may be reduced.
Scientists at the Monzino Cardiology Center (CCM) in Milan and the University of Milan have tested the breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels of six women and men on exercise bikes with and without masks.
According to a paper published in the European Respiratory Journal, participants’ ability to exercise vigorously by wearing a face mask is reduced by about 10%, probably because they find it a little difficult to breathe through the mask.
CCM cardiologist Dr Massimo Mapelli said the reduction was modest and, conclusively, it did not indicate the risk for healthy people to exercise in a face mask when they were working to their maximum potential, but CCM cardiologist Dr Massimo Mapelli said. . “While we are waiting for more people to be vaccinated against Covid-1, this discovery could have practical implications for daily life, for example, potentially making it safer to open an indoor gym.”
More research is needed to see if this is true for people with heart or lung conditions, scientists say.
Volunteers made up of healthy individuals with an average age of 40 performed three rounds of the exercise. One, without a face mask, the other with a single-use surgical mask and finally with an FFP2 mask. The researchers said that the GFFP2 mask resulted in a 10% reduction in peak oxygen consumption and that the surgical mask had a negligible effect, the researchers said.
Researchers are investigating whether wearing a face mask affects people’s ability to perform daily activities at home or climbing stairs, healthy people as well as people with heart and lung conditions.
Physiologist Prof. of Grenoble University Hospital. Sam Byte, who was not involved in the research, said: “Although these results are preliminary and need to be confirmed with large groups of people, they suggest that face masks can also be worn safely. For indoor sports and fitness activities, with a tolerable effect on performance. “
GM and other indoor fitness facilities are set to reopen in England after 12 April. Current guidelines say that people do not need to cover their face while exercising, but at other times when indoor leisure facilities should be used. The government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports declined to comment on the Italian study.
A spokesman for UK Active, which represents the gym and leisure centers, said the study was “limited” and required extensive research before reporting the practice. In the meantime, “people should continue to follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization, which recommends that face masks should not be worn while exercising,” the spokesman said.
“The gym in the UK will be safe to reopen based on Sage-recognized safety measures already in place, focusing on social distance, sanitation and ventilation – allowing visitors to return with confidence.”
