A cloth facemask increased ratings of perceived exertion and reduced affect, but did not affect sprint or muscular performance during training in athletes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity of using face masks during sports is likely balanced by coaches and athletes between the risk of infection and their impact on exercise performance. To inform this decision, we aimed to test the effects of wearing a cloth face mask on exercise performance and subjective responses during training of track and field athletes. Participants (n=10) performed two training sessions with and without a 3-layered cloth mask in a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. The training session was designed to simulate the specific demands of the sport that the athletes practiced. The sprint protocol consisted of performing five maximal 30 m sprints, with a passive 4-min interval between runs. Performance variables (sprint time, acceleration) were calculated using the sprint time data. Jump performance was assessed pre- and post-sprints using a countermovement vertical jump. Throughout the training session, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and affect were collected. There was no evidence of condition x time interactions for sprint time (P=0.21) or acceleration (P=0.47). There was weak evidence of an effect of condition (P=0.05) on RPE, though no evidence of a condition x time interaction (P=0.35). There was moderate evidence of a condition x time interaction (P=0.02) for affect, with lower ratings following sprints 3, 4 and 5 when using the mask. These findings suggest that wearing a mask may negatively impact subjective feelings of training without necessarily harming sprint performance. During an unmitigated epidemic such as in Brazil, the protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with wearing a face mask appears to outweigh the increased discomfort and perception of effort related to this safety tool.