To help quell your mask-related fears, we broke down how masks may affect oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and rounded up expert-approved tips for supporting your lungs. Because masks cover the nose and mouth, they may make breathing difficult, says human performance coach and New York Times bestselling author Brian MacKenzie. In an Instagram post, he writes that masks may even trap carbon dioxide, which could be dangerous for people who are CO2 intolerant. “CO2 intolerant means we don’t use our lungs as much and do not use O2 optimally,” MacKenzie tells mindbodygreen. According to one study, symptoms of CO2 retention (hypercapnia)2 may include rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), shortness of breath (dyspnea), flushed skin, confusion, headaches, and dizziness. Unless your mask is tightfitting and used for a prolonged period of time, though, there is little risk of becoming hypercapnic. “For most people, wearing cloth or surgical masks puts them in little to no danger of breathing in unhealthy amounts of carbon dioxide,” Graham says. That said, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms associated with CO2 retention, Graham suggests taking off your mask while social distancing and breathing deeply. While breathing in fresh oxygen is a critical solution, it’s still a short-term fix. “[Oxygen] cannot work without CO2, and the better we control our breathing—say spending most of the time nasal-only breathing—the better we develop a tolerance to CO2,” MacKenzie tells mbg. To help you strengthen your lungs over time and increase your tolerance to carbon dioxide, these four tips could help. In fact, one study explains, it’s normal to get breathless during exercise, but regular exercise can increase the strength and function of your muscles3. “Your muscles will require less oxygen to move, and they will produce less carbon dioxide,” the study says. “This will immediately reduce the amount of air you will need to breathe in and out for a given exercise.” Exercise is important because it requires more metabolic activity, MacKenzie tells mindbodygreen. “That would be optimized by doing things that are aerobic in nature like hiking and running.” You can also increase metabolic activity through strength exercises, like squatting, pressing, and pulling. “Picking heavy things up from time to time is critical and can be done a number of different ways and through varying modalities,” he says. To do this: If you do notice dizziness, fatigue, or other symptoms of hypercapnia from prolonged use, separate from others, remove your mask, and breathe in fresh air.
