Exercise in personal protective equipment in a hot, humid environment does not affect risk propensity

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that heat stress created by light exertion in encapsulating personal protective equipment (PPE) in a hot, humid environment increases risk propensity. Ten healthy subjects (29 ± 7 y) completed 2 trials presented in a counter-balanced manner. Subjects donned encapsulating PPE, and in one trial they wore a tube-lined shirt underneath that was perfused with 5°C water. Subjects completed 2 15 min bouts of walking exercise on a treadmill at ˜50% maximal heart rate in a 32°C, 81% RH environment. Subjects completed the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), an objective measure of risk-taking, before, between the 2 exercise bouts, and following the final exercise bout. Personal cooling lowered (P < 0.01) mean skin temperature by 8.0 ± 1.6°C. Intestinal temperature rose (P < 0.01) in both trials, but was lower (P < 0.01) at the end of exercise in the cooling trial (38.0 ± 0.3°C vs. 37.6 ± 0.3°C). BART derived indices of risk propensity were not affected by trial or time (trial × time interaction: P ≥ 0.33). These data indicate that 60 min of exposure to mild heat stress created by light exertion in encapsulating PPE does not affect risk-taking behavior.

Thermal behavior alleviates thermal discomfort during steady-state exercise without affecting whole body heat loss

“…For example, voluntary reductions in exercise work rate in the heat attenuate the rise in core temperature, which occur secondary to reductions in metabolic heat production (26,44,53). In addition, we (46) and others (12) have identified that mandatory and constant upper body cooling during exercise in the heat attenuates the rise in core temperature. Thus, a secondary hypothesis was that thermal behavior resulting in large reductions in skin temperature would attenuate the rise in core temperature by augmenting heat loss from the skin to the water perfused suit top.…”

Physiological Evaluation of Personal Protective Ensembles Recommended for Use in West Africa

“…Furthermore, the 38.9°C T re at the end of 60 minutes for E3 in this study shows the development of heat stress that could be exacerbated when HCWs need to have several 1-hour shifts within a day. Even though a recent study 14 showed that changes in neurocognitive performance during or immediately after 50 minutes of exercise in the heat wearing PPE are not noted, and another study 15 showed that risk-taking behavior is not affected by mild heat stress, it has been demonstrated that reaching T re of 39°C over 1 hour is associated with decrements in simple mental performance 16 . This is very important information for HCWs in West Africa to determine work-rest cycles.…”

Soft drink consumption during and following exercise in the heat elevates biomarkers of acute kidney injury

“…Three of the objects were barbells weighing 4.1 kg, 5.4 kg, and 6.8 kg, and the two 170 remaining objects were rolled fire hoses each weighing 21.1 kg. The dexterity task has 171 previously been used in our laboratory (52). In the present study, participants were 172 instructed to secure and disassemble as many nuts and bolts as possible in 5 min.…”