title: Firefighters' cardiovascular health and fitness: An observation of adaptations that occur during firefighter training academies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Firefighters' cardiovascular fitness remains a foremost concern among fire departments and organizations, yet very little research has been conducted to examine the cardiovascular fitness adaptations that occur during firefighter training academies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the cardiovascular adaptations observed among firefighter recruits during firefighter training academies using measures of estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and heart rate recovery (ΔHR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Firefighter recruits (n = 41) enrolled in a 16-week firefighter training academy completed a 5-minute step test during the first, eighth, and sixteenth week of training. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RM ANOVA) calculations were conducted to determine changes in estimated VO2max and ΔHR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of the RM ANOVA calculations revealed that mean estimated VO2max and mean ΔHR differed significantly between time points: F(2, 80) = 75.525, p < 0.001, and F(2, 80) = 4.368, p = 0.016, respectively. No significant changes were observed in mean estimated VO2max and mean ΔHR beyond the eighth week of training. No significant relationship was identified between estimated VO2max and ΔHR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although firefighter recruits' estimated VO2max and ΔHR change significantly over the course of the firefighter training academy, the measures may not be equal predictors of cardiovascular fitness.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance & Sport Physiology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology - Integrative Health Care & Performance Unit, Milwaukee, WI, USA.|Laboratory for Sport Psychology & Performance Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology - Integrative Health Care & Performance Unit, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Stacy L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gnacinski
authors.affiliation: Human Performance & Sport Physiology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology - Integrative Health Care & Performance Unit, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ebersole
authors.affiliation: Human Performance & Sport Physiology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology - Integrative Health Care & Performance Unit, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cornell
authors.affiliation: City of Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mims
authors.affiliation: City of Madison Fire Department, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamzow
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Sport Psychology & Performance Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology - Integrative Health Care & Performance Unit, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Occupational health; heart rate recovery; maximal oxygen uptake