Wearing a Surgical Face Mask Has Minimal Effect on Performance and Physiological Measures during High-Intensity Exercise in Youth Ice-Hockey Players: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 transmission is prevalent during ice-hockey; however, it is unknown whether wearing face masks as a mitigation strategy affects hockey players' performance. We used a randomized cross-over study to compare wearing a surgical mask to a sham mask (control) in youth hockey players (21 males, 5 females, 11.7 ± 1.6 y) during a simulated hockey period (cycle ergometry; six shifts of 20 s of "easy" pedaling (40% peak power), 10 s of "hard" pedaling (95% peak power), 20 s of "easy" pedaling, with shifts separated by 5 min rests). A seventh shift involved two 20 s Wingate tests separated by 40 s rest. Heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation and vastus lateralis tissue oxygenation index (hemoglobin saturation/desaturation) was assessed each shift. On-ice testing was conducted with the maxima

SUBMITTER: Shaw KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8535201 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature