Trial reportClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2020
Effects of surgical and FFP2/N95 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity.
Trial report in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 164 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effect of Use of Medical Masks on Exercise Capacity and Lower Extremity Endurance in Youth
Comparison of Hemodynamic and Respiratory Parameters During Physical Activity Without Mask, With Surgical Mask and General Public
Individual Performance Analysis of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing / Maximal and Sub-maximal Exercise Testing With Different Face Masks
Who cites it
164 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of fit improvement strategies for respirators: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Physio-metabolic and clinical consequences of wearing face masks-Systematic review with meta-analysis and comprehensive evaluation.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- The influence of N95 and FFP2 masks on cardiorespiratory variables in healthy individuals during aerobic exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Wearing a Mask During Exercise on Physiological and Psychological Outcomes in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of N95 Respirator on Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Physiologic Response: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Bayesian network meta-analysis of face masks' impact on human physiology.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- Facial mask acute effects on affective/psychological and exercise performance responses during exercise: A meta-analytical review.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Pooled it
- The impact of facemask on patients with COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- The Impact of Ubiquitous Face Masks and Filtering Face Piece Application During Rest, Work and Exercise on Gas Exchange, Pulmonary Function and Physical Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2021Pooled it
- [Impact of wearing face masks in public to prevent infectious diseases on the psychosocial development in children and adolescents: a systematic review].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Physiological Effects of Face Masks During Exercise Worn Due to COVID-19: A Systematic Review.Sports healthPooled it
- The pandemic legacy face mask: hidden barrier or insignificant factor in exercise performance?: A randomized crossover trial.Medicine · 2026Trial
- Respiratory pattern change in female and male runners by respiratory tract restriction using a respirator.PloS one · 2026Trial
- Effect of face masks on dyspnea perception, cardiopulmonary parameters, and facial temperature in healthy adults.Narra J · 2024Trial
- Investigating effects of FFP2 wearing during physical activity on gas exchange, metabolism and affective state using a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Effect of wearing surgical mask during controlled aerobic training on functional capacity and perceived stress in inactive men: a randomized trial.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Influence of face masks on the subjective impairment at different physical workloads.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Effects of wearing different face masks on cardiopulmonary performance at rest and exercise in a partially double-blinded randomized cross-over study.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Blood gas levels, cardiovascular strain and cognitive performance during surgical mask and filtering face piece application.Scientific reports · 2022Trial
104 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDue to the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, medical face masks are widely recommended for a large number of individuals and long durations. The effect of wearing a surgical and a FFP2/N95 face mask on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity has not been systematically reported.
methodsThis prospective cross-over study quantitated the effects of wearing no mask (nm), a surgical mask (sm) and a FFP2/N95 mask (ffpm) in 12 healthy males (age 38.1 ± 6.2 years, BMI 24.5 ± 2.0 kg/m
resultsThe pulmonary function parameters were significantly lower with mask (forced expiratory volume: 5.6 ± 1.0 vs 5.3 ± 0.8 vs 6.1 ± 1.0 l/s with sm, ffpm and nm, respectively; p = 0.001; peak expiratory flow: 8.7 ± 1.4 vs 7.5 ± 1.1 vs 9.7 ± 1.6 l/s; p < 0.001). The maximum power was 269 ± 45, 263 ± 42 and 277 ± 46 W with sm, ffpm and nm, respectively; p = 0.002; the ventilation was significantly reduced with both face masks (131 ± 28 vs 114 ± 23 vs 99 ± 19 l/m; p < 0.001). Peak blood lactate response was reduced with mask. Cardiac output was similar with and without mask. Participants reported consistent and marked discomfort wearing the masks, especially ffpm.
conclusionVentilation, cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and comfort are reduced by surgical masks and highly impaired by FFP2/N95 face masks in healthy individuals. These data are important for recommendations on wearing face masks at work or during physical exercise.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.