Impact of fire protective equipment and the self-contained breathing apparatus on peak exercise in males and females.

With an increase in the number of females entering the fire service it is important to understand the potential impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) on females. This study compared selected physiological responses during two graded exercise tests (GXT) performed in a counterbalanced design: GXT - wearing athletic clothing while breathing through a low-resistance valve; and GXT - wearing PPE and breathing from a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Sixteen males and 15 females acted as participants.