Resumen de Energy Cost and Energy Sources During a Simulated Firefighting Activity
Fabrizio Perroni, Antonio Tessitore, Cristina Cortis, Corrado Lupo, Emanuele D'Artibale, Lamberto Cignitti, Laura Capranica
This study aimed to 1) analyze the energy requirement ([latin capital V with dot above]O2eq) and the contribution of the aerobic ([latin capital V with dot above]O2ex), anaerobic alactic ([latin capital V with dot above]O2al), and anaerobic lactic ([latin capital V with dot above]O2la-) energy sources of a simulated intervention; 2) ascertain differences in mean [latin capital V with dot above]O2 and heart rate (HR) during firefighting tasks; and 3) verify the relationship between time of job completion and the fitness level of firefighters. Twenty Italian firefighters (age = 32 ± 6 yr, [latin capital V with dot above]O2peak = 43.1 ± 4.9 mL·kg-1·min-1) performed 4 consecutive tasks (i.e., child rescue; 250-m run; find an exit; 250-m run) that required a [latin capital V with dot above]O2eq of 406.26 ± 73.91 mL·kg-1 ([latin capital V with dot above]O2ex = 86 ± 5%; [latin capital V with dot above]O2al = 9 ± 3%; [latin capital V with dot above]O2la- = 5 ± 3%). After 30 minutes, the recovery HR (108 ± 15 beats·min-1) and [latin capital V with dot above]O2 (8.86±2.67mL·kg-1·min-1) were higher (p < 0.0001) than basal values (HR = 66 ± 8 beats·min-1; [latin capital V with dot above]O2 = 4.57 ± 1.07 mL·kg-1·min-1), indicating that passive recovery is insufficient in reducing the cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain of the previous workload. Differences (p < 0.001) between tasks emerged for mean [latin capital V with dot above]O2 and HR, with a lack of significant correlation between the time of job completion and the firefighters' aerobic fitness. These findings indicate that unpredictable working conditions highly challenge expert firefighters who need adequate fitness levels to meet the requirements of their work. Practically, to enhance the fitness level of firefighters, specific interval training programs should include a wide variety of tasks requiring different intensities and decision-making strategies.
