Abstract
Firefighters have a sustained risk for experiencing a sudden cardiac event after completing a fire call. Heart rate recovery (HRR) can be utilized to characterize autonomic nervous system (ANS) recovery and has been linked to cardiac events. Research suggests that body composition influences post-exercise HRR responses in non-firefighter populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and percent body fat (BF) on the HRR response of firefighter recruits. BMI (kg·m−2), WC (cm), and BF (%) data from 57 firefighter recruits were collected. HRR (b·min−1) data were collected at completion (HR0), as well as 15 (HR15), 30 (HR30), 45 (HR45), 60 (HR60), 120 (HR120), and 180 (HR180) seconds following a submaximal step test, and commonly utilized clinical HRR indices were calculated (ΔHRR30, ΔHRR60, ΔHRR120, and ΔHRR180). After controlling for sex, linear mixed regression models did not identify significant interactions between body composition (ps > 0.05) and HRR response across time. However, significant (ps < 0.05) indirect semi-partial correlations were identified between BF and ΔHRR30 (rsp = −0.31) and ΔHRR60 (rsp = −0.27), respectively. Reducing overall BF (vs. BMI or WC) should be prioritized to improve the post-exercise ANS recovery of firefighter recruits.
Highlights
Sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) account for roughly half of the line-of-duty deaths among United States (U.S.) firefighters [1], and for every SCD, there are an estimated17–25 additional non-fatal line-of-duty cardiovascular events [2].While many of these SCDs occur during fire-suppression activities, or shortly after suppression activities [3], the odds of a firefighter experiencing a SCD after a fire call remain2.2 to 10.5 times higher than during nonemergency duties [4]
It has been suggested that an incomplete physiological recovery of firefighters after a fire call may be placing these individuals at risk for experiencing SCD or other cardiovascular events, and that this incomplete physiological recovery could be due to improper regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) [5,6]
Significant indirect semi-partial correlations were identified between body fat (BF) and ∆HRR30
Summary
Sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) account for roughly half of the line-of-duty deaths among United States (U.S.) firefighters [1], and for every SCD, there are an estimated17–25 additional non-fatal line-of-duty cardiovascular events (stroke, heart attack, etc.) [2].While many of these SCDs occur during fire-suppression activities, or shortly after suppression activities [3], the odds of a firefighter experiencing a SCD after a fire call remain2.2 to 10.5 times higher than during nonemergency duties [4]. Sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) account for roughly half of the line-of-duty deaths among United States (U.S.) firefighters [1], and for every SCD, there are an estimated. 17–25 additional non-fatal line-of-duty cardiovascular events (stroke, heart attack, etc.) [2]. While many of these SCDs occur during fire-suppression activities, or shortly after suppression activities [3], the odds of a firefighter experiencing a SCD after a fire call remain. It has been suggested that an incomplete physiological recovery of firefighters after a fire call may be placing these individuals at risk for experiencing SCD or other cardiovascular events, and that this incomplete physiological recovery could be due to improper regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) [5,6].
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