The effect of practical cooling strategies on physiological response and cognitive function during simulated...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Human Physiology
• Environmental Ergonomics

Background:

• Firefighters operate in extreme heat and unpredictable conditions, posing significant physiological and cognitive challenges.
• Assessing interventions to mitigate heat stress is crucial for firefighter safety and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of cooling interventions in mitigating physiological and cognitive strain in firefighters.
• To compare the efficacy of cooling gel (CG), cool vest (CV), and a combination (CG+CV) against a control (NC).

Main Methods:

• An interventional study involving firefighters under four conditions: no cooling (NC), cooling gel (CG), cool vest (CV), and CG+CV.
• Physiological and cognitive parameters measured included heart rate (HR), temporal temperature (TT), reaction time (RT), and correct response (CR).

Main Results:

• Cool vests (CV) and CG+CV significantly reduced heart rate and temporal temperature compared to CG and NC.
• Reaction time and correct response rates were significantly higher with CV and CG+CV, indicating improved cognitive function.
• Cool vests (CV) demonstrated superior efficacy in attenuating physiological responses and enhancing cognitive functions compared to cooling gel (CG).

Conclusions:

• Cool vests are more effective than cooling gel for firefighters in hot environments.
• Combining cool vests with cooling gel does not provide additional physiological or cognitive benefits.