Trial reportScientific reports2023
Effects of wearing different face masks on cardiopulmonary performance at rest and exercise in a partially double-blinded randomized cross-over study.
Trial report in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of wearing a surgical face mask on cognitive functioning and mood states: a randomised controlled trial in young adults.Cognitive processing · 2025Trial
- Investigating effects of FFP2 wearing during physical activity on gas exchange, metabolism and affective state using a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Influence of face masks on the subjective impairment at different physical workloads.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Effects of different personal protective equipment on the cardiovascular system in a 6-minute walk test.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2026Article
- Impacts of relaxed mask policies on COVID-19 epidemics: a modeling study in South Korea.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Risks and benefits of face masks in children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- Assessment and prediction of copper release amount from copper oxide facepieces.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- 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
- Influence of an Exercise-Specific Face Mask on Physiological and Perceptual Responses to Graded Exercise.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- Sports despite masks: no negative effects of FFP2 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in children.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The use of face masks became mandatory during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Wearing masks may lead to complaints about laboured breathing and stress. The influence of different masks on cardiopulmonary performance was investigated in a partially double-blinded randomized cross-over design. Forty subjects (19-65 years) underwent body plethysmography, ergometry, cardiopulmonary exercise test and a 4-h wearing period without a mask, with a surgical mask (SM), a community mask (CM), and an FFP2 respirator (FFP2). Cardiopulmonary, physical, capnometric, and blood gas related parameters were recorded. Breathing resistance and work of breathing were significantly increased while wearing a mask. During exercise the increase in minute ventilation tended to be lower and breathing time was significantly longer with mask than without mask. Wearing a mask caused significant minimal decreases in blood oxygen pressure, oxygen saturation, an initial increase in blood and inspiratory carbon dioxide pressure, and a higher perceived physical exertion and temperature and humidity behind the mask under very heavy exercise. All effects were stronger when wearing an FFP2. Wearing face masks at rest and under exercise, changed breathing patterns in the sense of physiological compensation without representing a health risk. Wearing a mask for 4-h during light work had no effect on blood gases.
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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.