3 - Physical and Physiological Challenges of Firefighting

Question 1

What is the cost of every extra kg of FPE walking on a treadmill?

Answer 1

22 ml/O2/kg

Question 2

What are some factors that should be considered when configuring gear?

Answer 2

VO2 being higher (cost of oxygen) as well as performance cost

Question 3

What is the cost of VO2 in FPE (Taylor number)?

Answer 3

22 ml/O2/kg

Question 4

What are the maximal responses seen in men and women under FPE?

Answer 4

both saw longer trials without gear (no significant difference physiologically at peak exercise between sexes), lower VO2 with FPE, exercise tolerance reduced about 56% across subjects, similar % decrement in both sexes, both females so a lower absolute VO2

Question 5

Compared to males, what is the average weight of a female in FPE?

Answer 5

about 15kg lighter than males - while in FPE, weigh the same as heavier unloaded males

Question 6

Why might females not have the same access to VO2 that males do?

Answer 6

not always possible to put on more muscle mass on a smaller body, regardless of training

a lot of females fall just below the ~3L aerobic engine needed, regardless of size, in firefighting, so training is needed to get that extra 500ml or so - strong evidence that L for L O2 consumption is the same for both sexes, and differences are mostly do to anatomical differences