Key result
A 15-week firefighter training academy did not significantly alter parasympathetic nervous system reactivation, with no changes in absolute heart rate recovery indices across time (p=0.730).
Why the study?
Sudden cardiac death is the leading line-of-duty death among firefighters and is associated with impaired post-activity parasympathetic reactivation, which can be assessed via post-exercise heart rate recovery.
Does a 15-week firefighter training academy improve parasympathetic nervous system reactivation (measured by heart rate recovery) in male recruits?
Population
25 male firefighter recruits
Comparison
Post-exercise HRR at week 1 vs week 6 vs week 15 of academy training
Design
Observational cohort study
Follow-up
15 weeks
Authors
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Positive adaptations occur without HRR gains; leaves open whether parasympathetic reactivation tracks fitness in tactical recruits.
Cohort (n=25)
Does a 15-week firefighter training academy improve parasympathetic nervous system reactivation (measured by heart rate recovery) in male recruits?
p-value: p=0.730
A 15-week firefighter training academy elicited positive training adaptations but did not significantly improve parasympathetic nervous system reactivation after submaximal activity.
Cornell et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Healthy firefighter recruits (n=25). Firefighter recruit training academy vs. Baseline (Week 1) was evaluated on Longitudinal changes in heart rate recovery (HRR) responses (p=0.730). A 15-week firefighter training academy did not significantly alter parasympathetic nervous system reactivation, with no changes in absolute heart rate recovery indices across time (p=0.730).
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