Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences · Published 2026-06-25 · DOI 10.5604/01.3001.0055.8135
Marcin Kaca, Kamil Sokołowski, Angelika Rogowska, Wojciech Sowier, Tomasz Białkowski, Katarzyna Kucia, Marek Strzała
BackgroundIn the water rescue and academic community, more and more attention is being paid to optimizing rescue procedures. Research to date suggests that the lifeguard’s clothing can significantly affect the level of fatigue and the duration of the rescue operation. In water rescue operations, especially those performed by uniformed services, lifeguards are often required to act in their standard uniforms, which can exert a substantial influence on their ability to effectively carry out the evacuation and subsequent resuscitation. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of different types of lifeguard clothing on the level of fatigue as measured by heart rate (HR) and on the duration of direct water rescue operations.MethodsThe study involved 40 participants (14 women and 26 men), representing lifeguards and students of the University of Physical Education who had passed practical tests in water rescue. Each participant performed 3 rescue attempts over a distance of 30 m, including a rescue jump, front crawl swimming to a manikin, and towing the manikin back to the starting point. The trials differed in the clothing worn: swimsuit (SWIM), T-shirt and shorts (T-S), summer military uniform (UNI). The performance time of the entire trial and the maximum HR were measured. The study was performed on an open body of water. The statistical analysis involved Student’s t-test, ANOVA (both parametric and non-parametric), and post-hoc tests (Tukey’s or Dunn-Bonferroni); the significance level of p < 0.05 was assumed.ResultsStatistically significant differences were observed in the trial duration and the recorded HR depending on the type of clothing worn by the lifeguard. In both women and men, the trials carried out while wearing UNI were characterized by a significantly longer victim evacuation time and higher HR as compared with the trials performed while wearing SWIM or T-S. The comparison between SWIM and T-S did not reveal any significant differences in the operation time. Large effects (eta squared) were reported for both the time and HR variables.ConclusionsThe obtained results yield the following suggestions: (1) The choice of lifeguards’ clothing is of considerable importance for the effectiveness of rescue operations. (2) Clothing other than SWIM, especially a standard summer UNI, significantly increases the time of victim evacuation from the water and the rescuer’s fatigue (higher HR). (3) When making decisions about lifeguard’s clothing in rescue operations, one should consider both the specificity of the incident and the potential physiological strain, so as not to impair the effectiveness of further actions, such as continuing the rescue operation or performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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Kaca, M., Sokołowski, K., Rogowska, A., et al. (2026). Impact of diverse lifeguard clothing on the heart rate parameter and duration of direct water rescue operations. Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0055.8135