Neurophysiological and Respiratory Mechanical Mechanisms of Exertional Dyspnoea

During outbreaks of respiratory diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials have widely encouraged the use of face masks to prevent the spread of infection. In the current COVID-19 climate, the use of face masks during exercise is being strongly encouraged, which has led some to raise concern over the potentially detrimental effects of face masks on their health. However, a recent compilation of data demonstrated that there are no abnormal physiological effects of face masks during exercise in healthy individuals. Despite this, there is consistent evidence that face masks increase the sensation of breathlessness during exercise, which may lead to decreased face mask compliance. Unfortunately, the quality of research in this area appears to be lacking with no studies having systematically examined the physiological mechanisms of breathlessness while wearing a face mask. Accordingly, this study aims to delve deeper into the relationship between face masks and the known mechanism's of breathlessness during exercise through a detailed evaluation of breathing mechanics, respiratory muscle function, and the subjective perception of breathlessness. Additionally, we aim to identify possible sex-based differences in the physiological responses to mask-wearing. Therefore, we hypothesize that face mask-induced breathlessness will be linked to increases in respiratory muscle load and activation during exercise. This study will provide the most comprehensive exploration into the physiological effects of mask-wearing on breathing mechanics and breathlessness, as well as insight into whether alterations in breathing mechanics contribute to exercise intolerance while wearing a mask.