The impacts of surgical mask in young healthy subjects on cardiopulmonary function and muscle performance: a randomized crossover trial

Objective To explore the impacts of surgical mask in normal subjects on cardiopulmonary function and muscle performance under different motor load and gender differences. Design Randomized crossover trial. Setting The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, June 16th to December 30th, 2020. Participants Thirty-one college students (age: male 21.27 ± 1.22 years; female 21.31 ± 0.79 years) were recruited and randomly allocated in two groups. Interventions Group 1 first received CPET in the mask-on condition followed by 48 h of washout, and then received CPET in the mask-off condition. Group 2 first received CPET in the mask-off condition followed by 48 h of washout, then received CPET in the mask-on condition. The sEMG data were simultaneously collected. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) from CPET, which was performed on a cycle ergometer—this is the most important parameter associated with an individual’s physical conditioning. The secondary parameters included parameters reflecting exercise tolerance and heart function (oxygen uptake, anaerobic valve, maximum oxygen pulse, heart rate reserve), parameters reflecting ventilation function (respiration reserve, ventilation volume, tidal volume, breathing frequency), parameters reflecting gas exchange (end-tidal oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressure, oxygen equivalent, carbon dioxide equivalent, and the relationship between dead space and tidal volume) and parameters reflecting skeletal muscle function [oxygen uptake, anaerobic valve, work efficiency, and EMG parameters including root mean square (RMS)]. Results Comparing the mask-on and mask-off condition, wearing surgical mask had some negative effects on VO 2 /kg (peak) and ventilation (peak) in both male and female health subjects [VO 2 /kg (peak): 28.65 ± 3.53 vs 33.22 ± 4.31 ( P = 0.001) and 22.54 ± 3.87 vs 26.61 ± 4.03 ( P < 0.001) ml/min/kg in male and female respectively; ventilation (peak): 71.59 ± 16.83 vs 82.02 ± 17.01 ( P = 0.015) and 42.46 ± 10.09 vs 53.95 ± 10.33 ( P < 0.001) liter in male and female respectively], although, based on self-rated scales, there was no difference in subjective feelings when comparing the mask-off and mask-on condition. Wearing surgical masks showed greater lower limb muscle activity just in male subjects [mean RMS of vastus medialis (load): 65.36 ± 15.15 vs 76.46 ± 19.04 μV, P = 0.031]. Moreover, wearing surgical masks produced a greater decrease in △tidal volume (VTpeak) during intensive exercises phase in male subjects than in female [male − 0.80 ± 0.15 vs female − 0.62 ± 0.11 l P = 0.001]. Conclusions Wearing medical/surgical mask showed a negative impact on the ventilation function in young healthy subjects during CPET, especially in high-intensity phase. Moreover, some negative effects were found both in ventilation and lower limb muscle actives in male young subjects during mask-on condition. Future studies should focus on the subjects with cardiopulmonary diseases to explore the effect of wearing mask. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( ChiCTR2000033449 ).