Effects of Wearing a Face Mask During CrossFit Exercise

April 19, 2025 updated by: Phil Chilibeck, University of Saskatchewan

The Effects of Wearing a Face Mask During COVID-19 on Performance and Intensity Markers During CrossFit Exercise

Face masks are important for prevention of transmission and contracting viruses such as COVID-19. Gymnasiums have been identified as being susceptible to virus transmission; therefore, wearing face masks during exercise is important during pandemics. This study will evaluate performance and physiological stress during high-intensity exercise while wearing a face mask during Crossfit exercise training.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Face masks are important for prevention of transmission and contracting viruses such as COVID-19. Gymnasiums have been identified as being susceptible to virus transmission; therefore, wearing face masks during exercise is important during pandemics. This study will evaluate performance and physiological stress during high-intensity exercise while wearing a face mask during Crossfit exercise training. Twenty-four men and women will be randomly assigned to perform exercise during Crossfit exercise while wearing or not wearing a surgical face mask in a cross-over study. Two types of exercise sessions will be assessed: A high intensity interval session and a continuous exercise session. There will therefore be four exercise sessions evaluated in our randomized cross-over design: 1) high intensity exercise while wearing a face mask; 2) high intensity exercise with no face mask; 3) continuous exercise while wearing a face mask; 4) continuous exercise with no face mask. Outcome variables to be assessed include exercise performance during the sessions (total repetitions for pull-ups, push-ups, and squats during continuous exercise and total repetitions for box jumps during high-intensity exercise). Heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and dyspnea will also be assessed throughout the exercise sessions.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Saskatchewan
      • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N5B2
        • University of Saskatchewan

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Experienced with CrossFit exercise training

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: high intensity interval training wearing a face mask
Other: High intensity interval training
High intensity interval training: 6 sets x 8 bench press, 10 pull-ups, and maximal number of box jumps (each set lasting 60 sec, with 4 minutes rest between sets)
Active Comparator: high intensity interval training wearing no face mask
Other: High intensity interval training
High intensity interval training: 6 sets x 8 bench press, 10 pull-ups, and maximal number of box jumps (each set lasting 60 sec, with 4 minutes rest between sets)
Experimental: continuous exercise training wearing a face mask
Other: Continuous exercise training
5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 body-weight squats, repeated for 30 minutes
Active Comparator: continuous exercise training wearing no face mask
Other: Continuous exercise training
5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 body-weight squats, repeated for 30 minutes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in box jumps
Time Frame: Up to 30 minutes
Number of box jump repetitions during high intensity exercise
Up to 30 minutes
Change from baseline in pull-up, push-up, and squat repetitions
Time Frame: Up to 30 minutes
Number of repetitions performed for pull-ups, push-ups, and squats
Up to 30 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in rating of perceived exertion
Time Frame: Up to 30 minutes
Rating of perceived exertion on a scale of 1-10 (Modified Borg Scale), a higher score indicates a greater perceived exertion
Up to 30 minutes
Change from baseline in heart rate
Time Frame: Up to 30 minutes
Heart rate (beats per minute)
Up to 30 minutes
Change from baseline in dyspnea
Time Frame: Up to 30 minutes
Dyspnea scale (0-10), a higher score indicates increased dyspnea
Up to 30 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Saskatchewan

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Scotty Butcher, Ph.D., University of Saskatchewan
  • Principal Investigator: Philip Chilibeck, Ph.D., University of Saskatchewan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 11, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 28, 2023

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 15, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 24, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 24, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 30, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 19, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2431

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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