There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding masks during the pandemic. The CDC even recently said “more research” is needed to definitively determine the protectiveness of cloth masks. If the federal government decides to issue a nationwide mandate, what would that mean for gyms? Some mask advocates are pushing for gyms to require masks because the heavy breathing during exercise could spread the virus. While I’m not in favor of mandating masks inside gyms, a new study from the University of Saskatchewan does show that three-layer cloth face masks have no negative effect on exercise performance and blood and muscle oxygen levels during a workout.