ArticleRevista portuguesa de cardiologia2021
Facemasks during aerobic exercise: Implications for cardiac rehabilitation programs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Article in Revista portuguesa de cardiologia, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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
- Physical activity during summer and recognition of heatstroke prevention among patients with cardiovascular disease in an urban area of Japan: a descriptive study.BMC research notes · 2025Article
- Tolerability of facemask during physical exercises during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.Journal of public health in Africa · 2025Review
- Sports despite masks: no negative effects of FFP2 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in children.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Article
- Face masks and exercise: Novel insights into a contemporary conundrum.Revista portuguesa de cardiologia : orgao oficial da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia = Portuguese journal of cardiology : an official journal of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology · 2021Article
- Face masks and exercise: Novel insights into a contemporary conundrum.Revista portuguesa de cardiologia · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND
objectivesDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, among the safety measures adopted, use of facemasks during exercise training sessions in cardiac rehabilitation programs raised concerns regarding possible detrimental effects on exercise capacity. Our study examined the cardiorespiratory impact of wearing two types of the most common facemasks during treadmill aerobic training.
methodsTwelve healthy health professionals completed three trials of a symptom-limited Bruce treadmill protocol: Without a mask, with a surgical mask and with a respirator. Perceived exertion and dyspnea were evaluated with the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion and the Borg Dyspnea Scale, respectively. Blood pressure, heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) were measured at each 3-minute stage.
resultsUsing a surgical mask or a respirator resulted in a shorter duration of exercise testing. At peak capacity, using a respirator resulted in higher levels of dyspnea and perceived exertion compared to not wearing a facemask. A significant drop in SpO2 was present at the end of exercise testing only when using a respirator. There were no differences in either chronotropic or blood pressure responses between testing conditions.
conclusionsProfessionals involved in cardiac rehabilitation should be aware of the cardiorespiratory impact of facemasks. Future studies should assess whether exposure to these conditions may impact on the overall results of contemporary cardiac rehabilitation programs.
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