Posted on 03/13/2021 9:46:21 AM PST by lightman
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled out some guidelines for exercising, and this week NBC News explained them for us. Among the most notable guidelines, as NBC emphasized, is the charge to wear a mask while you’re exercising inside at the gym.
Based on a study of a gym-related COVID-19 breakout in Chicago in the late summer of 2020, the CDC concluded, “To reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in exercise facilities, employees and patrons should wear a mask, even during high-intensity activities (10) while ≥6 ft apart.” Follow the Science?
Considering many careful CDC rule-followers pride themselves on “following the science,” it’s worth noting that this particular guideline doesn’t seem to be in accord with science at all. Several studies have shown that wearing a mask during strenuous physical activity takes quite a toll on the body.
One study, published in Clinical Research in Cardiology, revealed that “cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and comfort are reduced by surgical masks and highly impaired by FFP2/N95 face masks in healthy individuals.”
The study measured the pulmonary function parameters and comfort of 12 active and healthy men when they performed three exertion tests, one without a mask, one with a surgical mask, and the third with an N95 mask.
“Medical face masks have a marked negative impact on cardiopulmonary capacity that significantly impairs strenuous physical and occupational activities,” the study results concluded. “In addition, medical masks significantly impair the quality of life of their wearer. These effects have to be considered versus the potential protective effects of face masks on viral transmissions.”
A different study published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Sports Medicine tracked the heart rate of 23 healthy people from varied sporting backgrounds while they walked on a treadmill for six minutes at four kilometers per hour, once with surgical masks and once without.
“The laboratory study to investigate the physiological effect of wearing a facemask found that it significantly elevated heart rate and perceived exertion,” the study concluded. “Those participating in exercise need to be aware that facemasks increase the physiological burden of the body, especially in those with multiple underlying comorbidities.”
Even the World Health Organization made a point last year to rebuke the conventional wisdom that people should wear masks while working out, including it on the WHO’s “Mythbusters” page. “FACT: People should NOT wear masks while exercising,” the WHO said, noting that masks can “reduce the ability to breathe comfortably.”
While people should still maintain social distancing while exercising, the WHO said that sweat not only can saturate people’s masks, making it harder to breathe, but it also “promotes the growth of microorganisms.”
WHO masks Absurd Mask Extremes
However anti-science the new CDC guidelines might be, NCB News didn’t just report the changes. It also talked to a few so-called experts and offered us some coronavirusey fitness suggestions of its own — and they’re absurd.
Jessica Steier and Andrea Love, who host “The Unbiased Science Podcast,” “explained that when you exercise, you have more forceful and rapid respiration. This means you’re exhaling and inhaling a larger volume of air,” said NBC News. “In turn, the relative risk of exposure to Covid droplets may be increased compared to standing still in the same space. And physical distancing alone won’t protect you.”
It’s immediately clear that neither Steier, Love, nor anybody in the NBC editorial chain exercises — or at least they’re hoping their readers don’t, passing off these laughable recommendations with a straight face. Of course you inhale and exhale “a larger volume of air” when you’re working out. That’s one of the reasons wearing a mask while you’re doing it is so zany.
The same thing goes for the white coats at the CDC, who say, “Remove your mask if it gets moist from sweat and replace it with a clean mask while exercising. Have more than one mask on hand so that you can easily replace a moist mask with a dry one.” Have they ever been to the gym? In order to replace your mask every time sweat “moistens” it, you’d better bring a family value pack of surgical masks if you want to get through one full cardio circuit.
It gets better. One of NBC News’s exercise tips is: “It’s best to avoid the showers if possible, since you can’t get masks wet — otherwise they lose their efficacy. If you need to shower at the gym, shower as quickly as possible and only remove your mask when your face and head is going to get wet.”
When we advise wearing a mask in the shower, we approach the “glory holes” masked sex level of insanity.
Beyond ignoring the science and even beyond the crazy recommendations themselves, however, the worst part of the NBC article is the way this type of “journalism” serves to heighten our pandemic response to a foolish degree. Capitalizing on people’s fear and their impulse to control the behavior of others, NBC offers these suggestions that take the absurd CDC guidelines and crank them up to a ridiculous extreme.
This serves to shape public opinion in an unhelpful way, which not only exacerbates already-restrictive mitigation measures when lawmakers and bureaucrats eat it up, but it ramps up social pressure where none is due. The last thing we need is more mask Karens disrupting our cardio routines — you know, the ones we perform to blow off steam from the infuriating COVID Karens. s
I want the USA back wrote:
Fauci also said you should wear a mask during sex. I guess he must date some really ugly women.
THAT is the funniest thing I’ve heard in years!
On further reflection, perhaps Fauci wears a mask during sex because he’s so ugly his female friends insist upon it.
Trump Girl Kit Cat wrote: “In CA. I see people out walking their dog NO ONE around them masked up, people riding bicycle masked up,..”
In their defense, they’re only ‘following the science’ because Fauci and the CDC have both said that you should wear a mask when you’re outside your home.
Besides, it’s been said that you should wear a mask to protect others and that if you refuse then you don’t care about anyone else. Well, obviously those people really, truly, care about others.
HUGE BBQ today at my place, neighbors coming too
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I like BBQ too. (hint)
This bullsh*t will NEVER, EVER, end.
Normal O2 levels are between 95-99%; so wearing a mask lowers it 6%; two masks 12%. You’re in COPD area with two masks.
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And if you already have COPD, one mask is unbearable.
We have Fearpers who think this is solid advice.
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I only have a problem with them if they want to try to compel me to wear one. Otherwise, let them wear their foolishness.
Another post has it that masks don’t lower your O2 levels so who’s right? I say it does. Then too, the humidity buildup behind the mask is awful, really affects the sinus’
I get a kick out of one of our local TV sports reporters. Always wears a mask while facing the TV camera. I’m so grateful, otherwise I’d have to put a mask on my TV.
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you need to wear a mask while watching TV just to be sure ...
Bkmk
And don’t forget to always carry your hula Hoop so you can keep your social distance.
DO I NEED THE /s/?
I know whereof you speak :)
No mask for me. EVER.
Asterixis from masked hypercapnia is a fashion/style statement.
I can’t believe anyone, except the Marxist State Media and Gov’t fools, believe anything that the quacks at CDC and NIH say.
I don’t call it “masks and social distancing.”
I call it suffocation and separation.
Who the hell watches this garbage and listens to them? The mass hysteria continues.
PIF wrote: “you need to wear a mask while watching TV just to be sure ...”
What if you’re six feet from the TV or watching TV outdoors?
What if you’re six feet from the TV or watching TV outdoors?
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You just never know when the sneaky virus will appear - it could be hiding anywhere, even in your socks under the couch. But outside? Just imagine all the places it could be lurking waiting for some innocent to pass by and then WHAM.
If you get a shot and manage to survive the side effects, including death, you will still have to wear a mask or three because the shot, contrary to the appellation, is not a vaccine, rather a serum to mitigate the worst effects in most cases sometimes.
We advise keeping at least 20 feet from all other people at all times - wife and kids included. Also, it would not hurt to buy a box of masks and put on as many as possible - just short of outright suffocation. Just be sure your health, hospice and life insurance are up to date - a lot of people’s jobs depend on your fiscal responsibility in these time of crisis.
Wasn’t Asterixis the name of The Thin Man’s dog?
‘How the public can tolerate being conned for so long is hard to understand.’
look at the people around you; it’s not hard at all to understand it...
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