SynthesisSports medicine - open2021
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.
Synthesis in Sports medicine - open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Safety implications of mask use: a systematic review and evidence map.BMJ evidence-based medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Pooled 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
- Physio-metabolic and clinical consequences of wearing face masks-Systematic review with meta-analysis and comprehensive evaluation.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Facial mask acute effects on affective/psychological and exercise performance responses during exercise: A meta-analytical review.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Pooled it
- Investigating effects of FFP2 wearing during physical activity on gas exchange, metabolism and affective state using a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Surgical masks and filtering facepiece class 2 respirators (FFP2) have no major physiological effects at rest and during moderate exercise at 3000-m altitude: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of travel medicine · 2023Trial
- Evaluation of Mask-Induced Cardiopulmonary Stress: A Randomized Crossover Trial.JAMA network open · 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
- Trial
- Blood gas levels, cardiovascular strain and cognitive performance during surgical mask and filtering face piece application.Scientific reports · 2022Trial
- Aerosol emission rates from breathing, speaking, and speaking with a surgical mask.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- FFP2 induced breathing resistance does not affect metabolism and well-being during brisk walking and stair climbing - a randomized controlled trial.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2024Article
- Exploring factors affecting the unsafe behavior of health care workers' in using respiratory masks during COVID-19 pandemic in Iran: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Sports despite masks: no negative effects of FFP2 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in children.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Article
- Influence of Face Masks on Physiological and Subjective Response during 130 Min of Simulated Light and Medium Physical Manual Work-An Explorative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The COVID-19 vaccine did not affect the basal immune response and menstruation in female athletes.Physiological reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Aerosol emission from playing wind instruments and related COVID-19 infection risk during music performance.Scientific reports · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProtection against airborne infection is currently, due to the COVID-19-associated restrictions, ubiquitously applied during public transport use, work and leisure time. Increased carbon dioxide re-inhalation and breathing resistance may result thereof and, in turn, may negatively impact metabolism and performance.
objectivesTo deduce the impact of the surgical mask and filtering face piece type 2 (FFP2) or N95 respirator application on gas exchange (pulse-derived oxygen saturation (SpO
methodsSystematic review with meta-analysis. Literature available in Medline/Pubmed, the Cochrane Library and the Web of Knowledge with the last search on the 6
resultsOf the 1499 records retrieved, 14 RCTs (all crossover trials, high risk of bias) with 25 independent intervention arms (effect sizes per outcome) on 246 participants were included. Masks led to a decrease in SpO
conclusionThe number of crossover-RCT studies was low and the designs displayed a high risk of bias. The within-mask- and -intensity-homogeneous effects on gas exchange kinetics indicated larger detrimental effects during exhausting physical activities. Pulse-derived oxygen saturation was increased during rest when a mask was applied, whereas wearing a mask during exhausting exercise led to decreased oxygen saturation. Breathing frequency and ventilation adaptations were not related to exercise intensity. FFP2/N95 and, to a lesser extent, surgical mask application negatively impacted the capacity for gas exchange and pulmonary function but not the peak physical performance. Registration: Prospero registration number: CRD42021244634.
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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.