Can Wearing A Mask While Running Help My Training?

We have all had to adapt in different ways to these extraordinary times, and one of the things I personally have had difficulty adjusting to is wearing a mask, especially while running.  For a while, I did not run with a mask.  Instead, I ran alone, on routes I knew would be less well-traveled, and when I did pass another runner I took pains to swerve well out of the way to maintain proper social/physical distancing etiquette.  Then, one day last week, I passed a woman watering plants in her yard who yelled “wear a mask” at me as I went by (more than 6 feet away from her).  The following day, I read this article by Gretchen Reynold in The New York Times that described a study suggesting the recommended 6 feet of distancing might not be enough for runners.  The day after that, my town issued strict guidelines requiring people to wear a mask when out in public.   I knew then that it was time to put one on myself, along with my sneakers, when heading out for a run.  I’ve done it ever since. 

 I could choose to notice how itchy and hot the mask makes me feel.  I could tell myself it’s too hard to breathe through it so I should stop pushing myself or find another form of exercise to do.  Instead, I have been trying to find the silver lining.  Could there actually be a training benefit?  Could wearing a mask make me a better, stronger runner? 

All of the literature I found relating to wearing a mask while running came from studies of the elevation training mask.  This type of mask is much more high-tech than the cloth masks and neck gaiters most of us are wearing to cover our faces since COVID-19, so bear that in mind as you read this post.  The elevation training mask device has valves that enable the user to adjust airflow in an attempt to mimic the effects of altitude and provide resistance training for respiratory muscles.  But does it actually work to improve performance?

In one study (Porcari et al., Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 2016) twenty-four subjects underwent a 6-week, high-intensity cycle ergometer training program, half with the elevation training mask, and the other half without.  The investigators studied a variety of respiratory and blood variables pre- and post-training.  They did find an improvement in VO2 max, a key marker of aerobic endurance, in the group that trained with the mask, though it was only marginally better than the improvement seen in the group that trained without it.  However, two other variables that have to do with air exchange (ie ventilation), the ventilatory threshold and respiratory compensation threshold, as well as the power output at these thresholds, were significantly improved in the mask group compared to the control group.  This led the investigators to conclude that the elevation training mask functions as a respiratory muscle training device, and thus may improve markers of endurance performance. 

This finding was born out in another study of ten subjects who performed three bouts of treadmill exercise wearing the mask at three different settings, one of which was a sham setting (i.e. no resistance; Granados et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016).  In addition to evidence that the mask could be used for respiratory muscle training, this study also found that the mask induced mild hypoxia, a state where tissue demand for oxygen is not matched by oxygen supply.  Forcing adaptation to hypoxemia during training is desirable, and has performance-enhancing effects during competition.  The authors conclude that though full-time use of the elevation training mask could be counterproductive, intermittent use, particularly during low-intensity conditioning, might be beneficial. 

Does use of the elevation training mask improve VO2 max, a hallmark of altitude training? A study in male ROTC cadets who underwent a seven-week training period, which was a combination of running and bodyweight strength training, did not find a difference in VO2 max between those who trained using the elevation training mask and those who did not (Warren et al., International Journal of Exercise Science, 2017).  Similarly, a study of college students participating in a 6-week high intensity interval training program found no significant improvement in either VO2 max or forced vital capacity (FVC: the amount of air you can exhale from your lungs after a deep breath) with use of the elevation training mask (Biggs et al., International Journal of Exercise Science, 2017).  Both of these studies suggest the elevation training mask does not live up to its claims in this regard. 

So, can I extrapolate these findings to the neck gaitor I’m using when I run, and will wearing it actually make me a better runner?  Perhaps not.  But if nothing else, I have a newfound appreciation for feeling the wind against my face, and taking a deep, unimpeded breath when I run, and will look forward to a time when I can feel these things again.