BREATHE EASY

New research in the European Respiratory Journal has found that wearing a mask during exercise is perfectly safe for people who are otherwise healthy – although performance may dip slightly. The researchers monitored the breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels of subjects who wore masks while riding an indoor bike, and found that their peak aerobic performance dropped by a ‘moderate’ ten per cent. That’s enough to mean you don’t want to wear a mask when chasing a PB, but not enough to affect less aerobic forms of exercise.