Effects of the self-contained breathing apparatus and fire protective clothing on maximal oxygen uptake

To examine the effects of firefighting personal protective ensemble (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) on exercise performance, 12 males completed two randomly ordered, graded exercise treadmill tests (GXT_PPE and GXT_PT). Maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max) during GXT_PPE was 17.3% lower than the GXT_PT in regular exercise clothing (43.0 ± 5.7 vs. 52.4 ± 8.5 ml/kg per min, respectively). The lower VO_2max during the PPE condition was significantly related (r = 0.81, p < 0.05) to attenuated peak ventilation (142.8 ± 18.0 vs. 167.1 ± 15.6 l/min), which was attributed to a significant reduction in tidal volume (2.6 ± 10.4 vs. 3.2 ± 0.4 l). Breathing frequency at peak exercise was unchanged (55 ± 7 vs. 53 ± 7 breaths/min). The results of this investigation demonstrate that PPE and the SCBA have a negative impact on VO_2max. These factors must be considered when evaluating aerobic demands of fire suppression work and the fitness levels of firefighters.