Psychophysiological Responses During a Cycling Test to Exhaustion While Wearing the Elevation Training Mask. Issue 5 (29th May 2022) - López-Pérez, María E.
Abstract: López-Pérez, ME, Romero-Arenas, S, Colomer-Poveda, D, Keller, M, and Márquez, G. Psychophysiological responses during a cycling test to exhaustion while wearing the elevation training mask. J Strength Cond Res 36(5): 1282–1289, 2022—The aim of this study was to investigate the psychophysiological effects of wearing the elevation training mask (ETM). Twelve men performed time-to-exhaustion (TTE) tests at 75% of peak power output with and without wearing the ETM. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), breathing discomfort (BD), and oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) were measured during the TTE. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) and vastus lateralis oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total hemoglobin were monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy. At the end of each test, blood lactate values (La-) were collected, and subjects completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The mask caused a reduction in the TTE (−37.7%; p < 0.001) and in the SpO2 (−2%; p < 0.001). Beck Anxiety Inventory scores were negatively correlated with the changes observed in the TTE ( r = −0.77; p < 0.01). La-, HR, and muscle oxygenation displayed similar results across conditions. In conjunction with an increased hemodynamic response in the PFC, subjects reported higher RPE and BD values in the ETM condition ( p < 0.01). Finally, BAI scores were negatively correlated with the changes observed in the TTE ( r = −0.77; p < 0.01). This study suggests that wearing the ETM induces psychophysiological alterations affecting the exercise tolerance and limiting the performance.