Introduction The virus SARS-CoV-2 has normalized the use of facemask to prevent its contagion and transmission since a common way of spreading is by close contact through respiratory droplets. As a result, many sport activities in several countries are still performed wearing facemask. Previous studies have analyzed their influence on physiological parameters but not conclusive results were obtained. Apparently, most of the inconveniences derived from the use of facemask might come from mental stress and discomfort rather than cardiorespiratory limitations. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine whether wearing a facemask influenced ventilatory and breathing comfort parameters during a maximum incremental kayak-ergometer test in active paddlers. Method: Ten kayakers (24.8 ± 6.8 years old) volunteered for this study. All participants were active kayakers (>8 hours of training/week) with more than 4 years of competitive experience. Two incremental Bruce protocols in kayak ergometer, one with and one without surgical facemask, were performed by all kayakers with at least 3 days differential to avoid fatigue. A battery of respiratory parameters (ventilation, tidal volume and respiratory rate) and a test for perceived discomfort (breathing difficulty, tightness, inadequacy, fatigue and general discomfort) were collected at Peak by a gas analyser VyntusTM CPX (Vyaire medical, INC, Hoechberg, Germany). Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc, version 23.0, Chicago, ILL, USA) via paired samples t-test. In addition, the significance level was set at p<0.05. Results and Discussion: Table 1 summarises the ventilatory and breathing comfort parameters during a maximum incremental kayak ergometer test. Respiratory parameters at peak revealed no significant differences between conditions (no facemask and facemask). However, breathing comfort test showed higher values of inadequacy and general discomfort when wearing facemask during paddling (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Wearing a surgical facemask seems to have no influence on respiratory parameters while paddling at maximum effort. Nevertheless, the results of the comfort test according to previous investigations suggested that most of the inconveniences experienced by athletes related to the use of facemask when practicing are due to comfort issues and mental stress.
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