ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2022 April;181(4):260-3

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.20.04505-2

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Influence of protective mask on performance at anaerobic exercise

Martin PUPIŠ ✉, Lukáš OPÁTH, Boris BEŤÁK, Zuzana PUPIŠOVÁ

Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Arts, University of Matej Bel in Banska Bystrica, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

BACKGROUND: Virus disease COVID-19 influenced life in each area including sport. Aim of the research was verifying of covering upper airways by face masks from 100% cotton in 2-minutes intensive exercise-burpees.
METHODS: The research was realized with hockey players of University of Matej Bel Hockey Team (UMB Hockey Team) (N.=20, average age = 22.6 years, average body height = 181.05 cm, average body height = 83.7 kg) who play in European University Hockey League. It was one-group cross experiment, in which players were randomly divided into two groups of 10 players. On the first day all players completed 2-minutes test, in which they tried to achieve as many repetitions of Burpees exercise as possible, 10 players completed test with face masks, the other 10 players were without masks. The test was repeated in a cross way two days later.
RESULTS: The probands achieved in average 2.45 repetition (P<0.01), less with face masks, the heart rate was higher by 7.5 bpm (P<0.01), which was shown by average decrease of saturation SpO2 3.63%.
CONCLUSIONS: Wearing of face mask from 100% cotton during exercise has significant influence on high-intensity 2-minutes anaerobic performance.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Heart rate; Hockey