Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (mainland).
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (mainland).
Med Sci Monit. 2022 May 30;28:e936069. doi: 10.12659/MSM.936069.
BACKGROUND Face masks have become an important part of the COVID-19 prevention approach. This study aimed to explore the effect of wearing masks on exercise ability and ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT). MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-four young, healthy volunteers were included in this study, consisting of 18 men and 16 women. The subjects were randomized to perform 2 cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) on a cycle ergometer with gas exchange analysis, one with and another without wearing a face mask (cross-over design). The general data for all subjects and indicators from the 2 exercise tests performed with and without wearing a face mask were collected. RESULTS In cardiopulmonary exercise tests, wearing a mask significantly (P<0.05) decreased peak indexes (eg, work rate (WR), oxygen consumption per kg body weight (VO₂/kg), heart rate (HR), ventilation per minute (VE) and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO₂)) and anaerobic threshold indexes (eg, WR, HR, VE, breath frequency (BF), dead space ratio (VD/VT), and VE/VCO₂). However, the PETCO₂ at peak was significantly higher. There was a positive linear correlation between WR difference and VO₂ difference at VAT (abbreviated as deltaWR@VAT and deltaVO₂@VAT, respectively) (r=0.495, P=0.003). Subgroup analysis of the VAT indexes showed that WR, VO₂/kg, and VE were significantly decreased in the advanced VAT group with mask compared with the stable VAT group with mask (P<0.05). Logistic regression showed that deltaVE, deltaBF, and deltaVE/VCO₂ had independent influences on VAT. CONCLUSIONS Wearing masks advances VAT in healthy young subjects during CPET. The advanced VAT was associated with changes in VE, BF, and VE/VCO₂ while wearing masks.
口罩已成为 COVID-19 预防措施的重要组成部分。本研究旨在探讨戴口罩对运动能力和通气无氧阈（VAT）的影响。
本研究纳入了 34 名年轻、健康的志愿者，包括 18 名男性和 16 名女性。这些受试者被随机分为两组，在功率自行车上进行 2 次心肺运动测试（CPET），并进行气体交换分析，一组戴口罩，另一组不戴口罩（交叉设计）。收集所有受试者的一般数据和戴口罩与不戴口罩进行的 2 次运动测试的指标。
在心肺运动测试中，戴口罩显著（P<0.05）降低了峰值指标（例如，工作率（WR）、每公斤体重耗氧量（VO₂/kg）、心率（HR）、每分钟通气量（VE）和二氧化碳通气当量（VE/VCO₂））和无氧阈指标（例如，WR、HR、VE、呼吸频率（BF）、死腔率（VD/VT）和 VE/VCO₂）。然而，峰值时的 PETCO₂显著升高。WR 差值与 VAT 时 VO₂ 差值之间存在正线性相关（分别缩写为 deltaWR@VAT 和 deltaVO₂@VAT）（r=0.495，P=0.003）。VAT 指标的亚组分析显示，与稳定 VAT 组相比，先进 VAT 组戴口罩时 WR、VO₂/kg 和 VE 显著降低（P<0.05）。Logistic 回归显示，deltaVE、deltaBF 和 deltaVE/VCO₂ 对 VAT 有独立影响。
在 CPET 中，健康年轻受试者戴口罩会提前出现 VAT。在戴口罩时，VAT 与 VE、BF 和 VE/VCO₂ 的变化有关。
