The Effects of Wearing a Face Mask During Exercise in Youth Hockey Players During COVID-19

Hypoxemia Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effects of Wearing a Face Mask on Exercise Tolerance in Children's Hockey During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04874766
• Other study ID #: 2701
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 28, 2021
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: October 2021
• Source: University of Saskatchewan
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

There is concern that wearing a face mask during COVID will affect oxygen uptake, especially during intense exercise. COVID transmission is especially prevalent in sports such as hockey, where there is close contact between players and arena ventilation is poor. This study will assess the effect of wearing a surgical face mask on simulated hockey performance and blood and muscle oxygenation during cycling exercise.

Description:

The sport of ice hockey involves close contact between players in poorly ventilated arenas. This increases susceptibility for transmission of viruses, such as COVID-19. Face masks can reduce the risk of virus transmission; however, there is concern that wearing a face mask during exercise will reduce oxygen uptake or increase carbon dioxide re-breathing, which can result in low blood oxygen levels, reduced oxygen delivery to muscle and reduced exercise capacity. The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of wearing a surgical face mask during exercise that simulates ice hockey play on exercise performance and blood and muscle oxygenation in boys and girls. Twelve boys and twelve girls (age 9-14y) who are experienced playing hockey, will take part in this randomized cross-over study that will assess exercise performance, blood oxygenation (i.e. pulse oximetry) and muscle oxygenation (with near infrared spectroscopy) during an exercise test on a cycle ergometer with workloads and work to rest intervals that simulates hockey performance. Participants will also be tested for repeated-sprint performance on ice while wearing full hockey equipment. The conditions include no mask (a "sham" mask) and a surgical mask. Outcome variables include power output during the cycle ergometer testing, skating distance during the on-ice test, rating of perceived exertion, blood oxygen saturation levels, and oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total hemoglobin at the quadriceps muscle.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 26
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: July 15, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 9 Years to 14 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Experience playing ice-hockey

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contra-indications to exercise as identified by a screening questionnaire (the "Get Active Questionnaire")

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypoxemia
• Hypoxia

Intervention

Other:
• Wingate exercise test and on-ice testing while wearing a face mask
Power output during 2 x 20s Wingate cycle tests and total distance during an on-ice skating test while wearing a face mask
• Wingate exercise test and on-ice testing while wearing a sham face mask
Power output during 2 x 20s Wingate cycle tests and total distance during an on-ice skating test while wearing a face mask

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	University of Saskatchewan	Saskatoon	Saskatchewan

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change from baseline in average power output	Average power output in Watts during two 20 second Wingate tests	Up to 40 seconds
Secondary	Change from baseline in peak power output	Peak power output in Watts during two 20 second Wingate tests	Up to 40 seconds
Secondary	Change from baseline in on-ice sprint testing distance	Distance in meters covered during a repeated 20-meter sprint test that progressively increases in speed	Up to 12 minutes
Secondary	Change from baseline in blood oxygen saturation	Blood oxygen saturation (%) determined by pulse oximetry	Up to 40 minutes
Secondary	Change from baseline in quadriceps tissue oxygenation index	Tissue oxygenation index (oxygenated hemoglobin/total hemoglobin) as measured by near infra-red spectroscopy	Up to 40 minutes
Secondary	Change from baseline in rating of perceived exertion	Rating of perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10 (Modified Borg Scale), a higher score indicates a greater perceived exertion	Up to 40 minutes
Secondary	Change from baseline in heart rate	Heart rate (beats per minute)	Up to 40 minutes

External Links

•   link to the study manuscript