Relationship between Simulated Fire Suppression Activities and Acute Cardiac and Respiratory Events in Firefighters.

Cardiac deaths account for the largest share of on-duty firefighter deaths. To help ensure duty fitness and minimize injury risk, many fire departments require the passing of an annual physical ability test, consisting of a battery of simulated fire suppression activities (sFSAs). The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of sFSA performance to acute cardiac and respiratory events (ACREs) and the effect that estimated VOmax has on sFSA performance.

Differences in Stronger Versus Weaker Firefighters in Selected Measures of Power.

Firefighters are required to perform a wide array of physically demanding job tasks, such as forcible entry, charged hose advances and victim extractions. An adequate level of muscular strength and power are required to successfully perform these tasks. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in stronger and weaker firefighters in measures of power.

A Submaximal Field Test of Aerobic Capacity does not Accurately Reflect VO in Career Firefighters.

Adequate aerobic capacity is crucial to maintaining firefighter safety. The purpose of this study was to compare predicted VO scores from a submaximal and maximal step test. Eighteen career male firefighters from a medium sized urban municipality completed both a submaximal Forestry step test and a maximal laboratory WFI step test.

The Effects of Firefighter Equipment and Gear on the Static and Dynamic Postural Stability of Fire Cadets.

Background: Slips, trips, falls, and jumps were the second leading cause of injuries at the fireground.

Research Question: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of firefighter equipment and gear (EQG) on postural stability and determine if load per kg of body mass (L/BM) is associated with postural stability.

Methods: 26 male fire cadets (26.

Effects of Heart Rate Biofeedback, Sleep, and Alertness on Marksmanship Accuracy during a Live-fire Stress Shoot.

On the job, law enforcement may be required to utilize lethal force to maintain personal or public safety. Officers' attention to detail, decision-making, and marksmanship accuracy (MA) may be impaired by reduced sleep, increased heart rate (HR), and breathing rate (BR). HR biofeedback (emWave, EW) may help mitigate these impairments.

The effect of extrinsic factors on simulated 20-km time trial performance.

During time trials cyclists start individually with a uniform time gap between riders. With the exception of the first and last cyclists all riders will chase riders ahead and be chased from behind. The purpose of this study was to determine if cycling in a lead or chase position would influence 20-km time trial performance.

Effects of saddle height on economy in cycling.

Research has demonstrated that properly adjusting saddle height is important for both performance and injury prevention during cycling. Peer-reviewed literature recommends the use of a 25 degrees to 35 degrees knee angle for injury prevention and 109% of inseam for optimal performance. Previous research has established that these 2 methods do not produce similar saddle heights.

Effects of saddle height on anaerobic power production in cycling.

In competitive cycling, setting the proper saddle height is important for both performance and injury prevention. This is also true for ergometer use in a laboratory. The cycling literature recommends using a 25 to 35 degrees knee angle to set saddle height for injury prevention and recommends using 109% of inseam length for optimal performance.