Cool Vests Worn Under Firefighting Ensemble Reduces Heat Strain During Exercise and Recovery.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a cool vest (CV) to reduce heat strain during exercise, facilitate recovery, and minimize heat strain during subsequent return to exercise and heat exposure. Male volunteers (n=12) were monitored for heart rate (HR), and rectal (Tre), chest (Tch), arm (Tar), thigh (Tth) and calf (Tca) temperatures during randomly ordered no vest (NV) and cool vest (CV) tests. CV was worn over cotton work clothes and under firefighting ensemble (FFE) . Test protocol consisted of 20 min each of rest, exercise, recovery, exercise, and recovery. Rest and recovery occurred in 29 deg C/65% relative humidity (rh) air, while walking exercise (1.12 m.s(-1)/0% grade) occurred in 48 deg C/50% rh air. All NV and CV subjects completed the 100 min tests. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significantly lower T(re) T(ch), T(ar) and T(ch) for CV compared to NV, while differences in Tca and HR were nonsignificant. Compared to NV, T(re) T(ch) T(ar), and T(th) for CV decreased faster (p.<O5) during recovery and rose less (p.<05) during subsequent exercise. Our findings indicate that CV minimizes heat strain during exercise in hot/humid air, hastens recovery from heat strain in warm/humid air, and attenuates heat strain during subsequent exercise in hot/humid air.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA294494
Entities
People
- B. L. Bennett
- James A. Hodgdon
- L. R. Ramirez
- M. P. Shannon
- R. D. Hagan
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center