the effect of surgical and n95 mask use during maximal exercise on physiological, perceptual, and performance responses in healthy men

Background: the effects of wearing common masks during maximal exercise activities on individuals remain unclear.aim: this study aimed to examine the effect of wearing surgical and n-95 masks on physiological, perceptual, and performance responses in healthy men performing a maximal shuttle run test.materials and methods: fifteen healthy men (age 23.78 ± 2.0) participated in three sessions: without a mask, with a surgical mask, and with an n-95 mask, with a one-week interval between each session. after each test, physiological variables (heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and oxygen saturation), perceptual variables (comfort/discomfort and perceived exertion), and performance variables (maximum oxygen consumption and shuttle run test duration) were measured. data were analyzed using repeated measures anova to compare differences between the conditions.results: significant differences were observed between the conditions with and without a mask in terms of oxygen saturation (p= 0.043), blood lactate concentration (p= 0.026), and perceived exertion, maximum oxygen consumption, and shuttle run test duration (p= 0.001), with the no-mask condition demonstrating superior outcomes in all variables. the type of mask (surgical or n-95) did not significantly affect the measured variables. wearing both masks led to an increased sensation of moisture, heat, shortness of breath, and fatigue.conclusion: wearing masks, especially during intense physical activities, may impair physiological and performance metrics, recommending mask-free outdoor settings when feasible.