Masks and sports: when, how and why

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Back in the month of May, on the first of a pandemic, the BOE collected several cases in which the use of the mask was not required.

One of them was: "Development of activities in which, by their very nature, the use of a mask is incompatible".

With this ambiguous phrase, it

and we have assumed that athletes have a free bar not to wear it.

But this does not coincide with the opinion of the experts.

The Spanish Society of Sports Medicine together with the Collegiate Medical Organization has published a statement on the use of masks in sports practice in relation to the SARS-CoV2 virus infection.

.

Playing sports in times of coronavirus: is it a risk?

Playing sports has great health benefits.

So far everyone agrees.

The problem is that, in times of coronavirus, there are two obstacles that are difficult to overcome.

On the one hand, there is the physical closeness that can favor contagion in contact sports such as, for example, in team sports or fighting.

This is the negative point that is most discussed and the reason why many sports competitions have been suspended.

But there is still more.

And, according to the experts in the statement, little is being said about

.

That is, the air that is inhaled and exhaled with each breath increases when we exercise.

If the lungs ventilate 6-7 liters per minute at rest, up to 200-250 liters per minute can be passed in a high-level athlete at maximum effort.

If this occurs in an enclosed area where hundreds of liters of air are constantly received from various athletes, the probability of becoming infected skyrockets.

Is wearing a mask during exercise harmful?

It is without a doubt the million dollar question.

And it is that the fear of the side effects of the mask has been and continues to be one of the main arguments against its use.

However, as of today,

.

Neither at rest nor during exercise.

Does the use of the mask reduce sports performance?

Recent studies have shown how the use of the FFP2 mask in a maximal stress test does significantly affect all comfort, cardiorespiratory, metabolic and performance parameters of the athlete.

However, using a surgical mask, and to date, in maximal stress testing, the cardiorespiratory, metabolic and performance parameters of the athlete do not decrease, although it does affect comfort parameters.

That is,

.

Conclusion: mask yes or no?

In the opinion of these experts, at this point in the pandemic, the ideal is to avoid contact sports.

If it is not possible to avoid them, they recommend the use of masks especially in closed rooms.

And in case of not being able to assume the proposed prevention measures, their position is

.

Clearer, water.

A

seasoned

What is the opinion of a

with several marathons behind him?

Is it worth continuing to do sports under these conditions?

Mask yes or no?

Cristina Miter, journalist,

and author of the successful book

, is one of the best known faces of

popular

in our country.

She is clear about it: "Taking into account that a very small percentage of the population complies with the 10,000 daily steps (at least) recommended by the WHO and that, now, with telework our physical activity is reduced considerably, it is It is vital that we move more than ever.

, always maintaining a safe distance and in ventilated spaces. In addition to the rest of hygiene measures ".

The

for sport in times of coronavirus

1. Mask: better surgical

.

In her opinion, the surgical mask breathes better than a fabric one, gives less heat and causes less feeling of overwhelm than a KN95.

Important!

She reminds us that they are disposable: "After training, I throw the mask away because it tends to end up soaked. At first, it may overwhelm you a bit, but you have to adapt."

2. In the gym: cleanliness and individual responsibility

.

Cristina follows a strict protocol: "I always carry hydroalcoholic gel to the gym and clean the material before and after each use with paper and a specific product."

3. Individual sessions 'online': a good alternative

.

In his opinion: "If something positive has brought this" new normal "is the rapid adaptation of new

training models

. In my case, since March I have been working hard with my trainer in two

sessions

a week. Every Tuesday and Thursday we connected by Zoom and it seems that we are sharing the same physical space and the laces that it leaves me are anything but virtual. To train at home, really very little material is required. In fact, to begin with, your own body weight is enough to doing planks, squats,

... Then you can invest in some rubber bands and, later in some dumbbells, and even, in a

or

".

4. Videos on Youtube or Instagram

.

They have advantages, but also disadvantages: "There is a large amount of free content on YouTube and Instagram. The only disadvantage of this type of training is that there is no supervision, as is the case in personal or group classes, through platforms such as Zoom or Webex. Since the coach cannot see us and thus correct us, they can be potentially harmful if the exercises are not performed with the proper technique. "

5. Better outdoors

.

"Many centers already offer outdoor classes and it is not a bad idea to go to a park and take the opportunity to do mobility and strength exercises with rubber bands, for example".

6. Running with a mask

: "Although contagions are reduced outdoors, for a matter of civility and, since we share space with other pedestrians, if the safety distance of two meters cannot be maintained, runners should also wear a mask".

7. Find low-traffic areas to run

.

This conclusion of Cristina, full of common sense, is ultimately what every

should internalize: "The ideal is to look for less crowded routes so as not to disturb those who walk and, in the case of passing people, put on the mask that we can to be stored, for example, in a refreshment belt ".

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