Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36604128›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2023

Face masks while exercising trial (MERIT): a cross-over randomised controlled study.

Nicholas Jones, Jason Oke, Seren Marsh, Kurosh Nikbin, Jonathan Bowley, H Paul Dijkstra, Fd Richard Hobbs, Trisha Greenhalgh

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04932226 (Peripheral Oxygen Saturations Among Healthy Young Adults Wearing Face Masks Whilst Exercising), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04932226 nacompletednot on this map

Peripheral Oxygen Saturations Among Healthy Young Adults Wearing Face Masks Whilst Exercising

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of OxfordRan2021 to 2022Enrolled72ConditionsImpact of Masks on Oxygen LevelsArmscloth mask, surgical mask, FFP2 respirator
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Nicholas JonesNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK nicholas.jones2@phc.ox.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-0352-3785
Jason OkeNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Seren MarshUniversity of Oxford Medical School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Kurosh NikbinGKT School of Medical Education, King's College London, London, UK.
Jonathan BowleySchool of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
H Paul DijkstraDepartment of Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Fd Richard HobbsNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Trisha GreenhalghNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2369-8088
University of Oxford · GBKing's College London · GBUniversity of Nottingham · GB

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 203921/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPhysical exertion is a high-risk activity for aerosol emission of respiratory pathogens. We aimed to determine the safety and tolerability of healthy young adults wearing different types of face mask during moderate-to-high intensity exercise.

designCross-over randomised controlled study, completed between June 2021 and January 2022.

participantsVolunteers aged 18-35 years, who exercised regularly and had no significant pre-existing health conditions.

interventionsComparison of wearing a surgical, cloth and filtering face piece (FFP3) mask to no mask during 4×15 min bouts of exercise. Exercise was running outdoors or indoor rowing at moderate-to-high intensity, with consistency of distance travelled between bouts confirmed using a smartphone application (Strava). Each participant completed each bout in random order. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was change in oxygen saturations. Secondary outcomes were change in heart rate, perceived impact of face mask wearing during exercise and willingness to wear a face mask for future exercise.

resultsAll 72 volunteers (mean age 23.9) completed the study. Changes in oxygen saturations did not exceed the prespecified non-inferiority margin (2% difference) with any mask type compared with no mask. At the end of exercise, the estimated average difference in oxygen saturations for cloth mask was -0.07% (95% CI -0.39% to 0.25%), for surgical 0.28% (-0.04% to 0.60%) and for FFP3 -0.21% (-0.53% to 0.11%). The corresponding estimated average difference in heart rate for cloth mask was -1.20 bpm (95% CI -4.56 to 2.15), for surgical 0.36 bpm (95% CI -3.01 to 3.73) and for FFP3 0.52 bpm (95% CI -2.85 to 3.89). Wearing a face mask caused additional symptoms such as breathlessness (n=13, 18%) and dizziness (n=7, 10%). 33 participants broadly supported face mask wearing during exercise, particularly indoors, but 22 were opposed.

conclusionThis study adds to previous findings (mostly from non-randomised studies) that exercising at moderate-to-high intensity wearing a face mask appears to be safe in healthy, young adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04932226.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultCross-Over StudiesExerciseHumansMasksOxygenYoung AdultOxygenCOVID-19PREVENTIVE MEDICINEPublic health

Identifiers

PMID36604128
PMCPMC9827243
OpenAlexW4313557653

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.