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Medicina dello Sport 2021 December;74(4):731-9

DOI: 10.23736/S0025-7826.21.03962-4

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Can sport and face masks get along?

Elisa LODI ¹, Alberto SCAVONE ¹, Gabriel DIAS RODRIGUES ², Lucio D’ANTONIO ¹, Massimiliano PERGREFFI ¹, Maria G. MODENA ¹ ✉

¹ PASCIA Center (Programma Assistenziale Scompenso cardiaco, Cardiopatie dell’Infanzia e A rischio), Polyclinic of Modena, University of Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; ² Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil

The sports world has certainly been one of the most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In addition to the closure of clubs and gyms, the introduction of personal protective equipment and face masks has raised many doubts about the safety of their use during physical activity. This is due to the possible onset of symptoms related to the physical barrier standing in front of the airways, resulting in greater resistance to airways flow and a bigger respiratory work. The aim of this article was to analyze the data available so far in the literature to try to answer the question: can sport and masks get along?

KEY WORDS: Sports; Masks; Exercise; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2