Research Information System
Bratislavske lekarske listy, vol.122, no.11, pp.821-825, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
BACKGROUND: In the COVID-19 pandemic, the concern about mask-harmful effects disturbed maskadherence. However, it is not certain whether the masks cause cardiopulmonary overload.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the physiological and disturbing effects of surgical face masks during exercise.
METHOD: The study was conducted in a tertiary hospital with 100 healthy volunteers between September
2020 and January 2021. Individuals with impaired walking, cardiopulmonary disease, and smoking were
not included in the study. Initially, respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2
), end-tidal
carbon dioxide (EtCO2
) were measured. Participants underwent 6-minute walking test (6MWT) with and
without surgical masks. Mask-discomfort questionnaire was applied before and after 6 MWT with the mask.
RESULTS: Surgical masks during 6 MWTs signifi cantly increased HR, RR, and EtCO2
levels (p<0.001).
Walking distance (p<0.001) and SpO2
level (p=0.002) were signifi cantly decreased with mask. In MaskDiscomfort Questionnaire, humidity, temperature, resistance, salinity, odor, fatigue (p<0.001), and itching
(p=0.001) scores signifi cantly increased after 6MWT with mask.
CONCLUSION: In healthy volunteers, HR, RR, EtCO2 were increased, and SpO2
and walking distance were
decreased in the short-term, light exercise performed with the surgical mask. Findings support the concern
that masks may cause cardiopulmonary overload (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 17).