Who'd a thunk it?
https://herculeanstrength.com/cloth-face-mask-decreases-athletic-performance/Shocking Scientific Finding! Wearing a Cloth Face Mask Decreases Athletic PerformanceScientists have discovered that the use of a cloth face mask decreases athletic performance during exercise.
In yet another shocking discovery, scientists have proven that wearing a cloth face mask while exercising ‘limits performance and physical capacity’. This new will come as a particular shock to anybody who has actually worn a mask over the past year.
During the small study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine [https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2021/03/05/bjsports-2020-103758.full.pdf?with-ds=yes], joggers wearing cloth masks said they experienced claustrophobia. Their oxygen intake was found to be reduced and their heart rate had a lower peak than when they were not wearing a mask and performing exercise.
Their endurance was also affected and they were unable to jog for as long as when not wearing a mask. On average, participants managed to run for 99 seconds (14 per cent) longer while unmasked. The majority of participants stated that it was harder to exercise at maximum effort while wearing a mask.
Although organisations and governments around the world, including the UK government and the World Health Organization, have advised not to wear masks while engaging in exercise, in many parts of the world and in many establishments, mask-wearing is mandatory while performing indoor exercise.