Impact of different personal protective clothing for firefighters in mountain areas.

Background: Mountain hiking is an unpredictable activity for firefighters during the search, rescue, and firefighting. Could the quality of the uniform worn by firefighters affect psychophysiological variables?

Objective: The objective of this study was to monitor the responses of perceived exertion (RPE), musculoskeletal pain (MP), and heart rate variability (HRV) responses in firefighters using different uniforms on a 5 km mountain walking activity. The feeling of comfort, safety, and ergonomic adjustment of the two types of uniforms also was verified.