PHYSIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF FIRE FIGHTERS COMPARED TO NORMS FOR THE CANADIAN POPULATION

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical fitness level of Canadian fire fighters and to compare them to norms for Canadians o f similar age and sex. The subjects were 1,303 male fire fighters from the Montreal fire department between the ages of 19 and 58 years. The subjects were categorized into four age groups: 19-29 years (n=351), 30-39 years (n=408), 40-49 years (n=408), and 50-59 years (n=136). Phy sical fitness was evaluated using the Canadian Standardized Test of Fi tness. The test battery included: 1) pre-test screening, 2) anthropome tric assessment, 3) cardiovascular, 4) flexibility and 5) muscular end urance measurements. Compared to the norms for the Canadian population of similar age, the fire fighters have: 1) higher body mass, body mas s index and waist-to-hip ratio, 2) higher flexibility, 3) higher muscu lar endurance and 4) lower cardiovascular endurance. The lower cardiov ascular endurance of the fire fighters was attributed to elevated body mass and an elevated heart rate response to the step test. It is unkn own whether the heart rate response reflects long-term effects of expo sure to carbon monoxide and vapours from combustible materials and che micals.