Research Decode: Restrictive Breathing Masks

CPT Blog > Research Decode > Research Decode: Restrictive Breathing Masks

Welcome, this is a new format we are introducing. New research is always being published about strength and conditioning and sport psychology. New research is good to have but it is often not accessible or engaging. In the research decode, we will look at a couple of recent studies, break down what they found, and, most importantly, explain what it means for you. This way you can integrate the most recent research into your training without having to scour through journals.

This first edition looks at a study dealing with the use of oxygen restrictive masks for training. This was selected because we have seen people trying to train with these masks without knowing the pros and cons of their use. Without further ado here is the research decode.

Restrictive Breathing Mask Reduces Repetitions to Failure During a Session Lower Body Resistance Exercises

This study looked at restrictive breathing masks as a training method to improve performance. They have been promoted as a method to simulate high altitude training and have grown in popularity for both professional and recreational athletes. Despite this, there aren’t many studies looking at the effects of exercise and performance. 

The Study Design

Ten men with a year of resistance training participated in the study. The participants had their body composition measured and strength tested. They then had two separate sessions with a week between sessions. One session was with a restrictive breathing mask and the other was without it. The participants performed barbell back squats, angled leg press, and knee extensions using their 12-repetition maximum.

After performing a warm-up set, the participants performed 4 sets of reps to failure with a 2-minute rest between sets. After each set, heart rate and oxygen saturation (amount of oxygen in the blood) were measured. The resistance level on the mask is designed to replicate an elevation of 12,000 ft above sea level. Following the session, participants rated their perceived exertion for the session.

Results

Differences between the sessions with and without the mask were found. Here are the important results:

  • Decrease in total reps completed for squats and leg press when wearing the mask
  • An increase in perceived exertion when wearing the mask
  • A reduction in oxygen saturation when wearing the mask

What does this all mean?

The reduction of the total number of reps completed in the session when using the mask can disrupt progress in training if used consistently. If the mask causes a reduction in the total volume of work completed each session, training may plateau because of the decreased training stimulus. For example, someone can normally can squat 100 pounds for 12 reps. They do one set of squats, three times per week. At the end of one week they have lifted 3,600 pounds. Now, if with the mask they can only squat 100 pounds for 10 reps, on the same plan they will have lifted 3,000 pounds for the week. That type of reduction in volume can have a profound effect on gains in training over time.

Another important piece is the perceived exertion when using a mask. Even though a training session may feel more strenuous, less work would be achieved than in a normal session. Accomplishing less while feeling like you did more. Feels bad.

Overall, use a restrictive mask at your own peril. The jury is still out on the use of these for training, but studies such as this one point to the drawbacks being greater than the benefits. The reduction of training volume is not desirable. Also, the mask made the sessions feel more difficult even though the training volume decreased. Who wants to feel like they worked harder, when they did less than they could? Overall, it seems better to save the cash than buying one of these masks and use other methods to increase the intensity of training sessions.

Andre, T. L., Gann, J. J., Hwang, P. S., Ziperman, E., Magnussen, M. J., & Willoughby, D. S. Restrictive breathing mask reduces repetitions to failure during a session of lower-body resistance exercise. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(8), 2103-2108.