Article RETRACTED due to malpractice The effect of surgical face mask on heart rate recovery and endurance parameters in amateur runners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.108031Keywords:
Aerobic fitness, Cardiorespiratory, Recovery, RespiratoryAbstract
The use of protective face masks (PFM) has increased significantly since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their use is growing steadily, not only among healthcare personnel but also the general population. While PFMs are important for protection against airborne contaminants, their effect on physiological and autonomic responses during running has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to assess the impact of wearing a surgical mask on physiological indicators of endurance performance and heart rate recovery following aerobic exercise in amateur runners. Nine young males underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and progressive square wave test (PSWT) on a treadmill with and without a surgical mask (SM). Cardiorespiratory parameters were evaluated during both CPET and PSWT, and autonomic parameters were measured during the 60-minute post-exercise recovery. The aerobic performance index showed that SM use resulted in lower peak VO2 (ml/kg/min) (p < 0.02). However, no significant differences were found in anaerobic threshold, respiratory compensation point, and running economy with SM use (p > 0.05). Similarly, SM use did not affect heart rate recovery (HRR), RR intervals, and rMSSD during recovery compared to no mask (NM) use (p > 0.05). In conclusion, using a surgical mask may decrease aerobic performance under maximal conditions. However, its use did not limit physiological indicators of endurance performance or heart rate recovery in amateur runners during submaximal aerobic running.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Marcos Antônio Pereira dos Santos, Valmir Oliveira Silvino, Sérgio Luís Galan Ribeiro, Felipe Machado Brito, Acácio Salvador Veras-Silva, Fábio Yuzo Nakamura, Bruno Viana Rosa, Daisy Motta-Santos, Danilo Marcelo Leite do Prado
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