(34) LOWER RATE OF FATIGUE OBSERVED IN FIREFIGHTER RECRUITS COMPLETING TRAINING ACADEMY

Purpose: Prior to becoming firefighters, individuals must complete firefighter training, either through a college or a training academy. Currently, other than the ability to pass a physical abilities test prior to attending a training program, there is insufficient knowledge on physical fitness measures in firefighter recruits. The purpose of this analysis is to explore differences in body composition and anaerobic performance between firefighter recruits who did not complete a training academy and those who did. Methods: 97 individuals who attended a firefighter training academy (male: n = 95, age: 22 ± 5 years, weight: 86.9 ± 13.6 kg, height: 179.1 ± 7.0 cm) visited a lab for pre-training fitness and body composition testing. Subjects’ body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and anaerobic performance through completing a Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) using an electronically braked cycle ergometer. Descriptive statistics were generated for all variables and are presented as Mean ± SD. Bivariate correlations were utilized for all body composition variables with the WAnT variables for all subjects. Two-sample t-tests were used to compare group means between the subjects who completed training compared to those that did not finish training. Effect sizes (ES) for correlations were calculated using Pearson’s r, while Cohen’s d was used to assess differences in the t-test results. Pearson’s r was interpreted as trivial (r< 0.1), weak (0.1≤r< 0.3), moderate (0.3≤r< 0.5), strong (0.5≤r< 0.7), and very strong (r≥0.7). Cohen’s d was classified as small (d=0.2), medium (d=0.5), and large (d=0.8). Statistical significance was set a priori at p<0.05. Results: As a whole, regardless of completion status, subjects had a bodyfat percentage of 18.7 ± 5.7%, lean muscle mass of 40.3 ± 5.6 kg, relative peak and mean powers on the WAnT of 6.8 ± 6.1 W/kg and 8.5 ± 1.3 W/kg respectively, and a rate of fatigue on the WAnT of 50 ± 12.5%. Relative mean power had significant, weakly negative correlations with weight (p=0.024, r= -0.23), BMI (p=0.014, r= -0.25), and lean muscle mass (p=0.035, r= -0.24). Relative peak power had significant, weakly negative correlations with weight (p=0.009, r= -0.26), BMI (p=0.021, r= -0.23), and a moderate, negative correlation with percent body fat (p< 0.001, r= -0.41). Of the 97 subjects, 63 of them completed training. There were no significant differences between subjects who completed compared and those who did not finish, for any of the body composition variables analyzed, nor for relative mean or peak power. However, there was a significantly lower rate of fatigue during WAnT in those that completed training compared to those who did not finish training, p = 0.037, with a moderate effect size of d = -0.5. Conclusions: Results of this analysis indicate that the ability to resist fatigue during short, high intensity efforts may play a role in determining if an individual can complete firefighter training, regardless of body composition. However, it is unknown if this only applies to lower body exercise, and this conclusion would be bolstered by measuring upper body muscular endurance, for example, pushups to failure. Practical Applications: Since firefighters require sustained high-intensity effort and groups differed in fatigue rate but not power or body composition, pre-academy training should prioritize anaerobic capacity development, regardless of body composition. Acknowledgements: None.