Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Inversely Associated With Aortic Arterial Stiffness in Firefighters.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), expressed as VO 2 max (mL/kg/min), is associated with resting AS (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cf-PWV]) and the AS response to simulated fire suppression activities in firefighters.

Methods: In firefighters (n = 20, 34 ± 8 years), AS was determined using cf-PWV (m/s) before and after a fire simulation exercise. VO 2 max was determined using a standard treadmill protocol.