Investigating the effect of wet clothing layers and their frictional properties on metabolic rate

The previous chapter introduced the concept of a possible friction drag effect between clothing layers. Many authors who found increases in energy costs when working in multilayered protective clothing ensembles speculated that this effect may have been responsible for some of the increase recorded. However, although this friction drag had been put forward by many, a review of the ergonomics, clothing and textile literature revealed a lack of detailed investigation into the issue. Results from the previous chapter found wearing four layers did increase the metabolic costs of walking and completing an obstacle course by 4.5 to 7.4% compared to a single layered control condition of the same weight, with the increases statistically significant (p<0.05) in all but one condition. Layers were made up of high and low friction fabrics and worn in different combinations but the differences in metabolic cost between the high and low friction ensembles tested (up to 2.8 %) did not prove statistically significant.