Changes of oxidative/antioxidative parameters and DNA damage in firefighters wearing personal protective equipment during treadmill walking training.
Eunju Park, Yun-Jeong Lee, Sun-Woo Lee and 5 others
PMID 27942144WHAT IT FOUND
Firefighters walking on a treadmill in full firefighter protective gear had higher heart rate and exertion than in regular clothes.
Blood oxidative and antioxidant markers rose, and DNA damage did not fully return to baseline after rest.
Key findings
01Walking in full firefighter protective equipment, including a protective garment, helmet, protective shoes, gloves, and a respiratory device, produced greater heart rate and perceived exertion than walking in regular clothes.
02In the protective equipment condition, plasma lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity rose right after exercise and returned to baseline after 40 min rest.
03Leukocyte DNA damage increased right after exercise in protective equipment and remained above baseline after 40 min rest.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only twelve male firefighters were studied, so the results cannot be generalized to all firefighters. The exposure was a 20 min treadmill session, not actual firefighting work, so it may not capture real job demands. The PPE condition included several items worn together, so the study cannot identify which item caused the responses. The outcomes were blood markers and DNA damage, not injuries, symptoms, or long-term health events.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that PPE causes long-term oxidative damage or disease in firefighters. The PPE condition included several items worn together, and the study was short, in male firefighters, and used blood markers rather than clinical outcomes.