Sports Nutrition Considerations for Firefighters
This article will highlight recent key dietary practices and provide practical applications for implementing these practices for firefighters.
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This article originally appeared in TSAC Report, the NSCA’s quarterly, online-only publication geared toward the training of tactical athletes, operators, and facilitators. It provides research-based articles, performance drills, and conditioning techniques for operational, tactical athletes. The TSAC Report is only available for NSCA Members. Read more articles from TSAC Report
References
- Almeida, AA, Reeve, EH, Dickinson, RL, Carty, M, Gilpin, J, and Feairheller, DL. Civilians have higher adherence and more improvements in health with a Mediterranean diet and circuit training program compared with firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 64: 488-494, 2022.
- Alvar, BA, Sell K, and Deuster, PA. NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning. Human Kinetics; 2017.
- Angerer, P, Kadlez-Gebhardt, S, Delius, M, Raluca, P, and Nowak, D. Comparison of cardiocirculatory and thermal strain of male firefighters during fire suppression to exercise stress test and aerobic exercise testing. The American Journal of Cardiology 102: 1551-1556, 2008.
- Aragon, AA, Schoenfeld, BJ, Wildman, R, Kleiner, S, VanDusseldorp, T, Taylor, L, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Diets and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14: 1-19, 2017.
- Brown, RE, Canning, KL, Fung, M, Jiandani, D, Riddell, M, Macpherson, A, et al. Calorie estimation in adults differing in body weight class and weight loss status. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 48: 521-526, 2016.
- Chander, H, McAllister, MJ, and Holland AM. Effects of 7-day ketone ingestion and a physiological workload on postural stability, cognitive, and muscular exertion measures in professional firefighters. Safety 5: 15, 2019.
- Cheuvront, SN, Kenefick, RW, Montain, SJ, and Sawka, MN. Mechanisms of aerobic performance impairment with heat stress and dehydration. Journal of Applied Physiology 109: 1989-1995, 2010.
- Cheuvront, SN, and Sawka, MN. Hydration assessment of athletes. Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine 25: 238, 2006.
- Close, GL, Kasper, AM, Walsh, NP, and Maughan, RJ. Food first but not always food only: Recommendations for using dietary supplements in sport. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 32: 371-386, 2022.
- Costello, RB, Lentino, CV, and Boyd CC. The effectiveness of melatonin for promoting healthy sleep: A rapid evidence assessment of the literature. Nutrition Journal 13: 106, 2014.
- Fahy, RF, and Petrillo, JT. Firefighter fatalities in the US in 2020. National Fire Protection Association 2021.
- Fahy, RF, Petrillo, JT, and Molis, JL. Firefighter fatalities in the US-2019. National Fire Protection Association 1-26, 2020.
- Gonzalez, AE, Waldman, HS, Abel, MG, McCurdy, KW, and McAllister, MJ. Impact of time restricted feeding on fitness variables in professional resistance trained firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 63: 343-349, 2021.
- Gonzalez, DE, Dillard, CC, Johnson, SE, Martin, SE, and McAllister, MJ. Physiological stress responses to a live-fire training evolution in career structural firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 10: 1097, 2023.
- Gonzalez, DE, Lanham, SN, Martin, SE, Cleveland, R, Wilson, T, Langford, E, et al. Firefighter health: A narrative review of occupational threats and countermeasures. Healthcare (Basel) 12, 2024.
- Gonzalez, DE, Latt, SL, Blalock, T, Leutholtz, B, and Kreider, RB. Optimizing nutrition for exercise and sports. In: Nutritional Health: Strategies for Disease Prevention Springer; 357-374, 2023.
- Gonzalez, DE, McAllister, MJ, Waldman, HS, Ferrando, A, Joyce, J, Barringer, N, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Tactical athlete nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 19: 267-315, 2022.
- Gonzalez, DE, Waldman, HS, and McAllister, MJ. The metabolic and physiological demands of a simulated fire ground test versus a live-fire training evolution in professional firefighters. International Journal of Exercise Science 16: 230, 2023.
- Guest, NS, VanDusseldorp, TA, Nelson, MT, Grgic, J, Schoenfeld, BJ, Jenkins, N, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 18: 1, 2021.
- Hershey, MS, Chang, C-R, and Sotos-Prieto, M. Effect of a nutrition intervention on Mediterranean diet adherence among firefighters: a cluster randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open 6: e2329147-e2329147, 2023.
- Intakes SCotSEoDR, Electrolytes PoDRIf, Water. Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride, and sulfate. National Academies Press, 2005.
- Jäger, R, Kerksick, CM, Campbell BI, Cribb, P, Wells, S, Skwiat, T, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14: 20, 2017.
- Joe, MJ, Hatsu, IE, Tefft, A, Mok, S, and Adetona, O. Dietary behavior and diet interventions among structural firefighters: A narrative review. Nutrients 14, 2022.
- Kales, SN, and Smith, DL. Sudden cardiac death in the fire service. Oxford University Press UK 228-230, 2014.
- Kales, SN, and Smith, DL. Firefighting and the heart: Implications for prevention. American Heart Association 1296-1299, 2017.
- Kales, SN, Soteriades, ES, Christophi, CA, and Christiani,DC. Emergency duties and deaths from heart disease among firefighters in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine 356: 1207-1215, 2007.
- Kales, SN, Soteriades, ES, Christoudias, SG, and Christiani, DC. Firefighters and on-duty deaths from coronary heart disease: A case control study. Environmental Health 2: 1-13, 2003.
- Kerksick, CM, Wilborn, CD, Roberts, MD, Smith-Ryan, A, Kleiner, S, Jäger, R, et al. ISSN exercise and sports nutrition review update: Research and recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 15: 1-57, 2018.
Available to:
Members only
Members only
Audience:
TSAC Facilitators
TSAC Facilitators
Topics:
Nutrition Exercise Technique Program design Organization and Administration Testing and Evaluation Safety
Nutrition Exercise Technique Program design Organization and Administration Testing and Evaluation Safety
Keywords:
First Responder Fitness Health and Wellness Supplements Dietary Practices Nutrition Firefighters
First Responder Fitness Health and Wellness Supplements Dietary Practices Nutrition Firefighters
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