Effect of fire-fighting protective clothes and usual work clothes on aerobic capacity

AIMS. In many jobs, people must use protective clothes to avoid physical, chemical and environmental damages. Such clothes should cause the minimal physiological, mental and organic limitations on the body, beside their protective features. The aim of this study is to compare the Fire-fighting protective clothes with usual work clothes, in terms of their effects on aerobic capacity of the subjects. METHODS. This is an experimental study, in which 30 healthy male participants were chosen according to inclusion criteria. The physical activity has been done once by wearing fire-fighting protective clothes and the other time by wearing usual work clothes by random, based on Bruce protocol. After the physical activity, parameters such as activity time and the distance were measured. Aerobic capacity was also predicted by setting the activity time in the Bruce formula. RESULTS. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was 44.25±6.42 ml/kg/min in participants with fire-fighting protective clothes, While it was 57.43±5.34 ml/kg/min for usual work clothes. This difference is statistically significant (p<0.001). These two sets of clothes are different in their effects on parameters such as activity (exhaustion), the distance and VO2max. The obtained values for common clothes are better than fire-fighting protective clothes. CONCLUSION. Fire-fighting protective clothes result in less tolerance time, because the aerobic capacity of these clothes is less than the usual work clothes.