Other studies, however, haven't found any benefits from wearing training masks. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that wearing an elevation training mask while lifting weights was associated with decreased alertness and a lower ability to focus on the task.

It seems that using an elevation mask does not cause any of the hematological changes in the body that occur when a person actually reaches a higher altitude. So although endurance performance may increase as a result of using the mask, it does not directly mimic the conditions of elevation training.

When you wear the mask, your body begins to adapt to the reduced oxygen intake, making your heart and lungs work harder. Then, when you take the mask off, you'll get a big boost - your body has adapted to the restricted oxygen and is able to use the oxygen more efficiently, which helps you perform better.

While this seems to be a common sight in and around commercial gyms and weight rooms, it is actually counterproductive and can even impede your progress if your goals are fat loss and/or increasing lean mass. As mentioned above, the training masks restrict air flow, thus causing you to fatigue quicker.

Interval Workouts Can Boost VO2 max By spending time training at your VO2 max, your body adapts and increases VO2 max over time. Traditional VO2 max intervals are structured with 3-5 minutes of hard running, followed by slightly shorter recovery intervals of 2-4 minutes in length.

Training masks help in moderating breathing, increasing oxygen transfer, which offers flexibility and reduces recovery time. The cons include: Ineffective for anaerobic training.

Elevation masks are said to simulate training at high altitudes, a training form that has shown to be a proven method of increasing athlete's supply of oxygen, transporting to red blood cells and increasing VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake.)

If you exercise in a mask, you will improve your fitness (VO2 max and power output). But you won't improve it by more than if you were exercising without a mask.

Sure enough, some research suggests that training masks can help improve your VO2 max. In a nutshell, altitude masks increase the difficulty of your runs. Running a mile with a mask on is going to be considerably more challenging than doing so without the mask.

Participants wearing the mask showed significant improvements in the previously mentioned areas from pre- to post-training. However, both groups showed improvements in peak power output and VO2 max pre- to post-training - meaning it was the training not the mask.

No. It does cause your lungs to pump harder as you get used to it which can be the same as a cardio work out…. But really, wearing it or not is the same as walking for an hour vs jogging for 1/2 ……its the same amount burned, just a different way to do it.

According to Raphael Konforti MS, CPT, Senior Director of Fitness, Youfit Health Clubs: “Working out with a mask inherently increases the intensity [of your exercise session] because your heart rate increases in response to a demand for more oxygen to create ATP or energy.” Working out harder in this case creates the ...