O uso de equipamento operacional em exercícios com fogo real no simulador de incêndio não altera a perceção de desconforto musculoesquelético, força de preensão manual e sintomas de stress de bombeiros militares: estudo piloto

Considering that occupational activity deserves constant attention and monitoring, especially due to the adversities encountered in the operational requirements of firefighting, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychophysiological repercussions before and after the Live Fire Exercise (EFR). Seven soldiers (24.71 ± 2.06 years old) from a platoon of firefighters who were studying the Structural Fire Fighting discipline of the Espírito Santo Firefighter Training Course were evaluated before and after EFR in relation to: Stress Symptoms, musculoskeletal discomfort (with and without personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighting), anthropometric measurements, hand grip and sweating rate. No significant changes were found in handgrip strength and stress symptoms (p> 0.05). In relation to musculoskeletal discomfort, there was an increased sensation of discomfort in the neck, shoulders and legs, on both sides analyzed (p < 0.05). Considering the parameters related to body composition, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between body mass before (69.37 ± 12.89 kg) compared to after (68.14 ± 12.56 kg) indicating a loss of 1.22 ± 0.78 kg, with a sweating rate of 36.13 ± 23.07 ml/min. In conclusion, military firefighters using operational equipment in real fire exercises in the fire simulator experience muscular discomfort in the neck, shoulders and legs, increased sweating without showing changes in stress indicators and reduced handgrip strength.