When exercising outdoors or in enclosed gyms, many individuals shun wearing face masks because they feel awkward. But another issue is that masks make it more difficult to breathe, and that re-breathing a person’s higher concentrations of carbon dioxide exhaled while exercising may lead to higher blood levels of carbon dioxide.
Nevertheless, a report released by the International Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health online on Nov. 3, 2020 did not find evidence to support any of these concerns. On three occasions, researchers asked fit, active individuals to perform cycling exercises until exhaustion. The exercisers wore either a surgical mask, a cloth mask, or no mask for each workout. If the exercisers wore or did not wear a face mask, the researchers observed no substantial differences in oxygen consumption or blood levels of carbon dioxide. Also, masks did not lift heart rates or hasten exhaustion.
They will protect against COVID-19 and will not interfere with your efforts to remain fit during the pandemic, while face masks might not be comfortable.
Farukh Islam 