Efficacy of body ventilation system for reducing strain in warm and hot climates

This study determined whether a torso-vest forced ambient air body ventilation system (BVS) reduced physiological strain during exercise-heat stress. Seven heat-acclimated volunteers attempted nine, 2-h treadmill walks at 200 W m⁻² in three environments, −40°C, 20% rh (HD), 35°C, 75% rh (HW), and 30°C, 50% rh, (WW) wearing the Army Combat Uniform, interceptor body armor (IBA) and Kevlar helmet. Three trials in each environment were BVS turned on (BVS_On), BVS turned off (BVS_Off), and no BVS (IBA). In HD, BVS_On significantly lowered core temperature (T _re), heart rate (HR), mean skin temperature (T _sk), mean torso skin temperature (T _torso), thermal sensation (TS), heat storage (S), and physiological strain index (PSI), versus BVS_Off and IBA (P < 0.05). For HW (n = 6), analyses were possible only through 60 min. Exercise tolerance time (min) during HW was significantly longer for BVS_On (116 ± 10 min) versus BVS_Off (95 ± 22 min) and IBA (96 ± 18 min) (P < 0.05). During HW, BVS_On lowered HR at 60 min versus IBA, T _sk from 30 to 60 min versus BVS_Off and IBA, and PSI from 45 to 60 min versus BVS_Off and at 60 min versus IBA (P < 0.05). BVS_On changes in T _re and HR were lower in HD and HW. During WW, BVS_On significantly lowered HR, T _sk, and T _torso versus BVS_Off and IBA (P < 0.05) during late exercise. Sweating rates were significantly lower for BVS_On versus BVS_Off and IBA in both HD and WW (P < 0.05), but not HW. These results indicate that BVS_On reduces physiological strain in all three environments by a similar amount; however, in hot-dry conditions the BVS_Off increases physiological strain.