Impact of a ventilated vest on cardiac recovery and thermal perception of soldiers during an intermittent activity in a warm environment
article
In this study, we examine the effects of a ventilated vest worn under a ballistic vest on thermophysiological and perceptual outcomes during an intermittent activity. Eight male soldiers (age:21 ± 2 years, height:184 ± 8 cm, weight:77.5 ± 10.1 kg) performed an intermittent 50-10-20–10 min walk-rest-walk-rest treadmill protocol in a climatic chamber (32˚C, 33% relative humidity, 5 km/h walking speed). Two conditions were evaluated: control (clothing + ballistic vest) and ventilated vest (clothing + ventilated vest + ballistic vest). Local static thermal insulation and evaporative resistance of the control condition were (0.485 m2KW−1 and 176 m2PaW−1) and for the Ventilated vest configuration (0.242 m2KW−1 and 38 m2PaW−1). Heart rate (HR), core temperature (Tc), mean skin temperature (Tsk), and thermal perceptual scores were collected. Compared with the control condition, the ventilated vest resulted in an attenuated increase in Tc (-0.3 ± 0.2 °C, p = 0.008) and faster HR recovery (-9 ± 12 BPM, p = 0.009). Moreover, significantly cooler thermal sensation and significantly lower thermal discomfort were observed in ventilated vest vs. control conditions (p < 0.034). A ventilated vest has the potential to facilitate a faster cardiac recovery during an intermittent walking protocol in dry-warm environment. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of potential use of ventilated vests in high-performance settings and offer practical applications in military and occupational contexts. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Society of Biometeorology 2025.
TNO Identifier
1015413
Source
International Journal of Biometeorology, pp. Epub 18 June.
Pages
Epub 18 June
Files
To receive the publication files, please send an e-mail request to TNO Repository.