Working Out on Shift

"The Effect of Fatigue & Training Status on Firefighter Performance."

This study reviews acute effects of fatigue on firefighters (FF) and how quickly they performed fire ground tasks.

12 "trained" FF (regular exercise) and 37 untrained FF (did not exercise) were selected to participate in the study. Off the bat the untrained group had a higher body mass index (BMI), a simplistic tool to use to measure potential obesity, and a lower VO2 max (aerobic fitness, all-cause mortality predictor).

All FF performed a fire ground training test. 7 events including stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise, forcible entry, search and rescue performed with no rest. "Trained" FF performed the fire ground test twice. Once rested, just like untrained FF, and once fatigued, 10 minutes after a workout.

Workout was a weight lifting circuit style consisting of seated row, BB bench press, BB DL, DB shoulder press, and prone plank for 2 rounds of 30 seconds work and 30 second rest using 95% of their 10 rep max weight. At the end of the 1st round 3 min of incline treadmill at 15% grade was performed before round 2. An efficient and timely workout.

6/37 untrained FF could not complete the fire ground test. The MEAN time to completion was 422.5 +-58 seconds or over 7 minutes. Bottom 25th percentile was closer to 8.5 minutes.

Trained FF baseline fire ground MEAN time was 365+-56 seconds or a little over 6 minutes. Their fatigued MEAN time was 6.7 minutes.

The authors stated that the fatigued trained FF, TEN minutes after a workout, still beat 70% of the fresh untrained FF times during the fire ground test. This indicates that FF that are in great shape, in this instance FF that competed in the combat challenge, were able to recover and still perform at a higher-level post workout than FF that do not exercise. The caveat to this is the type of workout performed was not too high intensity and too demanding on the FF. This allowed them to get a training stimulus but not run themselves into the ground. Next post we will compare a high intensity cross fit inspired training session 10 minutes prior to a simulated fire ground test and see different results.

Context is needed to help dictate the exercise intensity when on shift but one way or another find the will and the way to get in shape. On or off shift, but get it done. For your health and safety. For your crews health and safety. For the citizens we serve. If you want to train in gear train wearing Carna Bunker Gear and minimize unnecessary dermal absorption of carcinogens while improving your fire ground fitness and skills.

1. Dennison, K. J., Mullineaux, D. R., Yates, J. W., & Abel, M. G. (2012). The Effect of Fatigue and Training Status on Firefighter Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(4), 1101–1109. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e31822dd027

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