Objective: To describe subjective heat strain while wearing medical protective clothing (MPC) under simulated hot conditions in male medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on the subjective-response dataset of 30 healthy male medical students who participated in an experimental trial at the climatic chamber of Vietnam Military Medical University from April to August 2025. Participants wore MPC and performed cycling exercise at 15 km/h for 30 minutes in an environment of 32°C and 82% relative humidity. Immediately after exercise, they were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire to record discomfort level, symptoms during and after exercise, effects on exercise performance, recovery time, and impact on daily activities after exercise.
Results: A total of 96.7% of participants reported some degree of discomfort during exercise, and 70.0% reported that they sometimes or frequently had to pause or reduce exercise intensity. The most common symptoms during exercise were palpitations or rapid heartbeat (33.3%), dyspnea or oppressive breathing sensation (26.7%), and excessive sweating (23.3%). After exercise, thirst was the most common symptom (20.0%), and 63.3% of participants required 5–10 minutes to recover. Overall, 70.0% reported that daily activities after exercise were affected to varying degrees.
Conclusion: Wearing MPC under simulated hot conditions caused marked subjective heat strain, affecting exercise tolerance, short-term recovery, and daily functioning after exercise in male medical students.
Keywords: medical protective clothing, heat strain, subjective