Movement quality and links to measures of fitness in firefighters

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Given the possible links between movement, fitness and injury, the goal of this study was to evaluate strength, endurance, and hip range of motion (ROM) (i.e. fitness); movement quality; and age in a population of firefighters. PARTICIPANTS: Male firefighters (n = 282), all members of a major Canadian city fire department, volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study. METHODS: Torso endurance, grip strength, pull-ups, hip ROM, movement quality (sum of 7 movement tasks graded on a 0-3 scale), age, body mass, height, body mass index, and hip and waist circumference were assessed in 282 Firefighters. Relationships between variables were evaluated and compared to relevant populations (i.e. police officers, other firefighters, athletes, students and healthy males). RESULTS: There was no relationship between age and fitness or movement quality. Compared to other populations, our firefighter population had poorer torso endurance but similar grip strength. Larger body mass, waist circumference and hip width were correlated (p < 0.01) with poorer Total Movement Score. Back extensor endurance (Biering-Sorensen test) was found to have the strongest relationship with Total Movement Score in comparison to all other tests. Notably, the extensor endurance and pull-ups were related to five of nine tasks each. The magnitude of hip ROM asymmetry related only to the stand-sit-stand movement test. In general, correlations between variables were relatively low, suggesting that most of these variables are independent and/or unrelated to one another. CONCLUSIONS: Movement quality is not strongly correlated with traditionally utilized markers of fitness, nor is movement linked to age. This would imply that training should include movement competency components together with traditional fitness objectives.

Impact of a Supervised Worksite Exercise Program on Back and Core Muscular Endurance in Firefighters

“…In addition, a higher level of back muscular endurance has been shown to be related to improved movement quality and functional movement. 30 Previous studies have also reported that relatively small differences in back muscular endurance were useful to identify subgroups of participants with previous, current, or future low back pain. Only 5.0 seconds separated those who reported low back pain less than a week ago from those who had low back pain more than a week ago, whereas 11.8 seconds separated those with current versus previous low back pain; 16.0 seconds distinguished those with intermittent low back pain versus no low back pain; and 17.3 seconds divided those who would experience their first episode of low back pain in the next 12 months from those who would remain symptom free.…”

The Effect of Tactical Tasks and Gear on Muscle Activation of SWAT Officers

“…They reported mean external obliques activation of less than 3-4% of MVC, the rectus abdominis averaged less than 2% of MVC, and erector spinae was 2-3% of MVC (38). The rifle walk condition in the preset study had relatively close values to White and colleagues (23) walking data. The only difference was slightly higher erector spinae activity in the gear condition of the present study, which could be explained by an increase in forward lean and an increase in height of the subjects' center of mass.…”

“…McGill and colleagues suggested a similar training routine with movement competency components combined with fitness training for a group of firefighters (23). While not training in gear strays from the principal of specificity, occupational movement training may decrease injuries early on, which hopefully may lead to decreased chronic injuries.…”

Prior Knowledge of the Grading Criteria Increases Functional Movement Screen Scores in Youth Soccer Players

“…However, the FMS seems to be, at best, weakly associated with physical performance and movement competency. 28,30 This may because the standard FMS is not sufficiently sensitive to capture biomechanical differences which influence performance in physically rigorous activities such as soccer 15 . Instead, strength and conditioning practitioners should consider a different approach.…”