Respuesta termofisiológica en bomberosinfluencia del sexo, el equipo de protección, la condición física y las estrategias de mitigación

Abstract

The work of wildland firefighters (WFF) and structural firefighters (SFF) is highly demanding due to environmental conditions that cause high levels of thermal and physiological stress, exacerbated using personal protective equipment (PPE). These factors can affect their safety and performance, making it essential to understand how sex, physical condition, PPE, and mitigation strategies influence their physiological response. The primary objective of this thesis is to analyze the impact of these factors to improve the safety and work capacity of firefighters in high thermal demand situations. Five studies were conducted to achieve this goal. The first study analyzed differences in thermophysiological response between male and female WFF. The second evaluated the impact of PPE on physical performance during the Pack Test selection trial. The third examined how a high-intensity training program improves physical condition and thermophysiological response in SFF. The fourth was a systematic review on the effectiveness of various cooling strategies for emergency personnel, and the fifth investigated the use of cooling vests and the removal of PPE as methods to reduce thermal stress in WFF. The overall results reveal that women can regulate body temperature similarly to men. However, women rely more on peripheral vasodilation as a means of heat dissipation, whereas men depend more on sweat evaporation. This, combined with women's lower aerobic capacity, implies that they experience a greater thermophysiological load, which could accelerate the onset of fatigue. The use of PPE in WFF increases thermal stress and reduces performance in the Pack Test, highlighting the importance of conducting these trials with full PPE. Additionally, proper training improves thermophysiological capacity and performance in SFF. While cooling strategies are effective for controlling some physiological variables, their implementation in real situations is limited and not always sufficient to reduce core temperature or improve performance. Together, these studies provide a foundation for developing more personalized and effective interventions, improving the safety and performance of firefighters under high thermal stress conditions, considering sex differences and the physical demands of the job.