What is the best mask for sports and how its use influences us

Does performance decrease?

Difficulty breathing?

Does its use guarantee our protection and that of others?

Agustín Guardiola Vera, graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (COPLEF member 53,122), explains the main doubts generated around the use of the mask in sports practice.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT US?

"First of all, it is necessary to differentiate the

carried out, along with their characteristics and specificities, in which

intensity, density and volume play a determining role.

Secondly,

individuality and context

.

Finally, it is worth distinguishing three different scenarios of affectation that will fluctuate depending on the type of mask used:

one.

Performance

, which will be negatively affected;

2. Hemodynamic, pulmonary and metabolic parameters,

that they will be modified and must be interpreted and considered with different adaptations to guarantee a safe practice;

3. Discomfort,

which will obviously increase with the corresponding impact on the perception of anxiety and psychological discomfort ".

WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN PRACTICING INTENSE AEROBIC SPORTS?

"According to an investigation led by Sven Fikenzer (

Effects of surgical and FFP2 / N95 face masks on cardiopulmonary exercise capacity)

, the three aforementioned scenarios of affectation during maximum effort with a surgical mask and with FFP2 yield these data:

one

.

After observing the performance, it is estimated that the maximum power / kg is reduced by 7% with a surgical one and by 9% with a FFP2.

VO2max / kg, by 10% and 20%, respectively.

two.

In hemodynamic parameters, the heart rate decreases and the stroke volume increases almost equally.

The artero-venous oxygen difference is reduced from 12.8% to 11.5% with surgery and 10.5% with FFP2. Systolic blood pressure does not change and diastolic blood pressure increases only in surgery. the

pulmonary parameters

, ventilation (VE) decreases by 15 liters, being reduced by 25% with the surgical mask;

With the FFP2, it decreases 30 liters which represents a 30% waste.

With the latter, there is also a more marked reduction in

Breathing frequency

Regarding the

metabolic data

, pH and partial pressure of expired CO2, these are not modified with average values ​​of 34mmHg (in

Another research by Samannan, Holt, Calderon-Candelario, Mirsaeidi and Campos (2020) shows that the final values ​​of expired CO2 after the six-minute walk test in elderly people with severe COPD wearing a surgical mask were not increased either

), while O2 and lactate decrease equally with both masks.

3.

On

discomfort

, the average, on a scale of one to 10, goes from 2.8 without a mask to 5.2 with surgical and seven with FFP2, increasing the values ​​of: humidity, heat, resistance to breathing, itching, pressure, salinity, discomfort, odor and fatigue. "

WHAT IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN BENEFITS AND LOSSES?

"Establishing a balance between harm and benefits requires interpreting the needs and requirements of both normative and scientific evidence. To do this, a risk matrix must be built. As a starting point,

the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to a strategy based on four points

: move interior spaces to exterior;

replace narrow spaces with large and ventilated ones;

change high densities for low and long exposures, for short ones.

the mask should be used, from the point of view of scientific evidence and maintain a general distance of two meters

.

For each additional meter of separation, the protection is multiplied by two.

This distancing should be increased if it is affected by factors such as loudness of the voice and sneezing.In sports practice, it is also necessary to take into account the

dynamic actions

, origin of greater exhalation forces, and the

stelae

produced in their interaction with ventilatory flows. Indoors, small particles are aerosolized, remaining suspended in the air for hours. In both scenarios,

the risk of not wearing it is very high and the protection benefits it provides are beyond doubt despite the possible negative impact that it may have on performance

It is vital to stress the importance of

raise awareness and call for individual responsibility, promoting the practice of physical exercise safely

as a guarantor of the immune system and a tool in the fight against Covid-19 ".

WHAT ARE THE SPORTS WITH THE MOST RISK OF CONTAGATION?

"Logically, those in which it concurs

a greater number of athletes in shorter distances

(handball, basketball, etc.);

the combat ones

, for their longer continuous exposure time (judo, etc.), and those who

increased and continuous exhalation forces cause

(boxing, etc.) At rest, the lungs ventilate about 6-7 liters per minute, and can pass 100-150 liters per minute with intense effort.

A high-level athlete, at maximum effort, can ventilate up to 200-250 liters per minute. These sports require

a change in methodology that focuses on focusing more on technical elements and physical preparation

than doing exercises in pairs over short distances. You should also bet on alternative solutions such as using a swimming mask that covers the entire face to direct the exhalation through the back, in the case of some water polo exercises.

All this with maximum control of the different parameters associated with breathability and ventilation ".

WHAT ARE THE MOST SUITABLE MASKS TO PRACTICE SPORT?

"The

surgical masks

According to the aforementioned research by Fikenzer, they are the ones that decrease sports performance the least.

hemodynamic, pulmonary and metabolic parameters are modified to a lesser extent and have a lesser impact on the perception of discomfort, anxiety and psychological distress compared to FFP2 masks

Therefore, for practicing physical activity outdoors, always maintaining the recommended distances, it may be the most appropriate.The main drawback is that, as there is not enough space,

stick to the mouth,

It can make it difficult for air to enter the lungs. Do not forget that it is a medical device (PS) and not personal protective equipment (PPE).

Thus,

indoors and, above all, if they are not well ventilated

or in those where 100% of users do not wear the mask,

FFP2 should be used

whenever possible.

specific model to use during sports practice

, the ideal would be: a type of mask based on the prototypes of training masks by: its

proper fit

;

that prevents leaks and allows their reuse;

to be

washable

and that it has a posterior support, designed so that it does not move or cause excess pressure on the face.

It is also desirable that it has a cabin with distance from the mouth as an element of comfort. Undoubtedly, they will have to treasure a

95% minimum bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE)

(Taking the type I surgical mask as a reference), 98% being recommended as a type IIR reference, and a filtration efficiency of 92%. It is most recommended that they be manufactured with

materials that dissipate heat and preserve moisture production,

avoiding frame structures.

The

inner layer

It must be biocompatible with the skin and made of antibacterial material.

intermediate

It must have replaceable filters that provide the minimum possible breathability factor or differential pressure so as not to produce a ventilatory restriction.To do this, it is essential to take into account the number of filters, their surface as well as alternative materials that could meet the requirements of the current UNE-EN standards.

outer layer

It must be made of water-repellent material.

progressive acclimatization to use

.

The first few days it is convenient to use it for ten minutes in the most demanding training position to get used to breathing with it.

It is also recommended to start the start of

sessions with lower loads

".

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