Relationships between body composition and firefighter occupational performance: A systematic review and...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Firefighting involves strenuous physical activity under demanding conditions.
• Optimizing firefighter physical readiness requires understanding body composition's role in performance.
• Occupational Performance Tests (OPTs) simulate critical job tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the relationship between body composition and firefighting OPT performance.
• To identify specific body composition metrics most relevant to firefighter capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Meta-analysis of correlation coefficients using a random-effects model.
• Inclusion of 26 studies examining body fat percentage (BF%), fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), and body mass index (BMI) against OPT outcomes.

Main Results:

• Pooled correlations indicated that greater FFM (r̅ = -0.61) and lower BF% (r̅ = 0.46) were significantly associated with faster OPT completion times.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) showed a weaker correlation (r̅ = 0.10) with OPT performance.
• Associations were generally strongest between FFM and individual firefighting tasks, followed by BF%.

Conclusions:

• Increased FFM and decreased BF% are crucial for optimal performance in firefighting OPTs.
• Findings support the use of specific body composition measures in firefighter screening and training programs.
• Targeting FFM and BF% can enhance firefighters' ability to meet occupational demands.