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 of 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). Physical fitness was evaluated using the Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness. The test battery included: 1) pre-test screening, 2) anthropometric assessment, 3) cardiovascular, 4) flexibility and 5) muscular endurance measurements. Compared to the norms for the Canadian population of similar age, the fire fighters have: 1) higher body mass, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, 2) higher flexibility, 3) higher muscular endurance and 4) lower cardiovascular endurance. The lower cardiovascular endurance of the fire fighters was attributed to elevated body mass and an elevated heart rate response to the step test. It is unknown whether the heart rate response reflects long-term effects of exposure to carbon monoxide and vapours from combustible materials and chemicals.