ArticlePloS one2014
Laboratory or field tests for evaluating firefighters' work capacity?
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Musculoskeletal Health, and Physical Fitness on Occupational Performance in Firefighters-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Occupational Comparison of Handgrip, Pinch Grip, and Response Time in Firefighters and Police Officers.International journal of exercise science · 2026Article
- Differences in Fitness Between Cadet and General Population Firefighter Academy Recruits.International journal of exercise science · 2025Article
- Isokinetic Shoulder Strength and its Associations to Injury in Tactical Populations: A Critical Review.International journal of exercise science · 2024Review
- Body Composition Is Related to Maximal Effort Treadmill Test Time in Firefighters.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Impact of Gloves and Occupational Tasks on Handgrip Strength in Structural Firefighters.International journal of exercise science · 2023Article
- Differences in Stronger Versus Weaker Firefighters in Selected Measures of Power.International journal of exercise science · 2022Article
- Isokinetic Strength, Vertical Jump Performance, and Strength Differences in First Line Professional Firefighters Competing in Fire Sport.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Are there sex differences in physiological parameters and reaction time responses to overload in firefighters?PloS one · 2021Article
- Physical fitness levels of South Korean national male and female firefighters.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2020Article
- What Factors Predict Upper Body Push to Pull Ratios in Professional Firefighters?International journal of exercise science · 2020Article
- Article
- Grip Strength and Its Relationship to Police Recruit Task Performance and Injury Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017Article
- Relationships between strength and endurance parameters and air depletion rates in professional firefighters.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Physical Employment Standards for UK Firefighters: Minimum Muscular Strength and Endurance Requirements.Journal of occupational and environmental medicine · 2017Article
- Multivariate statistical assessment of predictors of firefighters' muscular and aerobic work capacity.PloS one · 2015Article
- Fitness Policies Within the Fire Service: A Pilot Investigation of Exercise Adherence on Fitness Outcomes Among Rural Firefighters.American journal of lifestyle medicineArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Muscle strength is important for firefighters work capacity. Laboratory tests used for measurements of muscle strength, however, are complicated, expensive and time consuming. The aims of the present study were to investigate correlations between physical capacity within commonly occurring and physically demanding firefighting work tasks and both laboratory and field tests in full time (N = 8) and part-time (N = 10) male firefighters and civilian men (N = 8) and women (N = 12), and also to give recommendations as to which field tests might be useful for evaluating firefighters' physical work capacity. Laboratory tests of isokinetic maximal (IM) and endurance (IE) muscle power and dynamic balance, field tests including maximal and endurance muscle performance, and simulated firefighting work tasks were performed. Correlations with work capacity were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs). The highest significant (p<0.01) correlations with laboratory and field tests were for Cutting: IE trunk extension (rs = 0.72) and maximal hand grip strength (rs = 0.67), for Stairs: IE shoulder flexion (rs = -0.81) and barbell shoulder press (rs = -0.77), for Pulling: IE shoulder extension (rs = -0.82) and bench press (rs = -0.85), for Demolition: IE knee extension (rs = 0.75) and bench press (rs = 0.83), for Rescue: IE shoulder flexion (rs = -0.83) and bench press (rs = -0.82), and for the Terrain work task: IE trunk flexion (rs = -0.58) and upright barbell row (rs = -0.70). In conclusion, field tests may be used instead of laboratory tests. Maximal hand grip strength, bench press, chin ups, dips, upright barbell row, standing broad jump, and barbell shoulder press were strongly correlated (rs≥0.7) with work capacity and are therefore recommended for evaluating firefighters work capacity.
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