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Age-related changes in upper body strength and lower limb power of professional Italian firefighters

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Abstract

Purpose

Considering that the decrease in strength can be observed with ageing and that muscular endurance and strength are essential factors for firefighting effectiveness in critical situations, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the Upper Body Strength and Lower Limb Power of Professional of Italian Firefighters of 229 Italian male firefighters (age 32 ± 8 years, height 177 ± 6 cm, weight 79 ± 9 kg, BMI 24.5 ± 2.4 kg/m2) and to compare the results in relation to the age (<30-year-old group; 31- to 35-year-old group; 36- to 40-year-old group; 41- to 45-year-old group; >45-year-old group).

Methods

Upper body strength (1RM bench press), lower limb power (counter movement jump—CMJ, and sprint ability—20 m) were analysed. Descriptive statistics and an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were applied to anthropometric and physical fitness values to assess significant difference between age groups. When a significant effect was found, Bonferroni’s post hoc analysis was used.

Results

Between age groups, anthropometric values showed an age effect (p < 0.05) for BMI with 34 % of all firefighters in overweight and high prevalence (52 %) in >45 compared to the other age group categories. Performances values showed differences for 1RM bench press [F (4,223) = 6.17; p < 0.001], CMJ [F (4,223) = 3.04; p < 0.05], 20 m [F (4,224) = 8.47; p < 0.001] among age groups. A decrease of 12 % for bench press, 13 % for CMJ and 5 % for 20 m between <30 and >45-year-old groups was found.

Conclusions

Considering that the ability to produce strength and power movements are very important qualities to firefighters in each age, individuals and “job specific” training programs should be planned with functional work activities to improve neuromuscular function at any age.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Italian Firefighters Corp. for the support in carrying out the experimental sessions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Exercise and Sport Sciences (SUISM), Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Fabrizio Perroni

  2. Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, P.za lauro De Bosis 15, 00135, Rome, Italy

    Laura Guidetti & Carlo Baldari

  3. Italian Fire Fighter Corp, Rome, Italy

    Lamberto Cignitti

Authors
  1. Fabrizio Perroni
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  2. Laura Guidetti
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  3. Lamberto Cignitti
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  4. Carlo Baldari
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Correspondence to Carlo Baldari.

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All authors declared no conflict of interest with the above work.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Perroni, F., Guidetti, L., Cignitti, L. et al. Age-related changes in upper body strength and lower limb power of professional Italian firefighters. Sport Sci Health 11, 279–285 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0236-y

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