# The Effect of Surgical Mask Use in Anaerobic Running Performance
###### Abstract  
COVID-19 restrictions stipulate the mandatory use of surgical masks during outdoor and indoor physical activities. The impact of this on athletic performance and especially on anaerobic physical activities is poorly known. The aim of the present research was to analyze the effect of surgical mask use on the anaerobic running performance of athletes. Modifications in running time, blood lactate, blood glucose, blood oxygen saturation, subjective perceived stress, rating of perceived exertion, and heart rate variability were measured in 50 m and 400 m maximal running tests with and without the use of surgical masks in 72 athletes. The use of a surgical mask increased blood lactate concentration, sympathetic autonomic modulation, perceived exertion, perceived stress, and decreased blood oxygen saturation in 50 and 400 m running tests. Thus, the higher levels of blood lactate and lower blood oxygen saturation require adaptation of the athlete's rest and recovery periods to the acute workload. The higher level of sympathetic activation makes the acute and chronic control of autonomic modulation essential for an efficient training periodization. Finally, the use of acid buffers such as bicarbonate or sodium citrate would be a recommended ergogenic strategy.  
COVID-19; blood oxygen saturation; rating of perceived exertion; glucose; sport performance 2021116555. 20211655. 202116555. 20211655. 20211655.  
both at the alveolar and blood vessel levels, leading to physiological alterations [8] and symptoms such as fatigue, discomfort, dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, muscular weakness, and drowsiness [9]. This situation may lead to decreased hemoglobin saturation due to the to increased CO2 partial pressure, and increase aortic pressure and left ventricular pressure, leading to an upsurge of cardiac overload and coronary demand [10] capable of directly affecting sports performance. However, other authors suggest no impact on exercise capacity and performance [11], even while wearing a FPP2/N95 mask. Furthermore, a recent review suggested that wearing face masks while exercising has only small effects on physiological responses and no effect on exercise performance [12]. In line with this, authors showed that a 1 h treadmill walk at 50-60% of maximal workload predicted maximal heart rate [13] (5.6 km/h, 0% grade) [14]; 30 min steady-state cycling at 50% of maximal workload [15], 10 min walk on a treadmill [16], or a 6 min treadmill walk (4 km/h, 10% grade) [17] while wearing a mask have no effects on performance. However, these studies suggesting non-impaired physical performance focus on a healthy population and medium to light physical activity, but high intensity activity is not considered.  
Thus, information about the effect of mask use in high intensity physical activities is still poorly known. For this reason, we proposed the present research with the aim of analyzing the effect of surgical mask use on the anaerobic running performance of athletes. The initial hypothesis was that there would be a decrease of anaerobic running performance wearing a surgical mask.