EXAMINING ISOMETRIC MID-THIGH PULL METRICS AND CPAT PERFORMANCE IN FIREFIGHTER RECRUITS

Firefighting presents unique physical demands, requiring both aerobic fitness and lower body strength to perform essential tasks such as hose drags and stair climbs for extended periods. The isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) performed on force plates provides key measures of strength and rate of force production which may predict performance in physically demanding firefighting tasks. Technological advancements have made force plates more accessible for fire departments. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe IMTP performance in firefighter recruits and assess the relationship between IMTP metrics and Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) performance. METHODS: IMTP data was collected from 64 firefighter recruits (61 male, 3 female) at the start of a fire academy. Prior to the academy, recruits completed the CPAT and a graded exercise test to assess VO2max, with records available for a subset of 25 recruits (all male). The data was cleaned then assessed for normality and outliers. Descriptive statistics profiled recruit IMTP performance, while correlation and regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between VO2max, IMTP metrics, and CPAT performance. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation for CPAT time and VO2max were 546.1 ± 41.4 s and 45.4 ± 2.7 mL/kg/min, respectively. No significant correlations were found between CPAT time and VO2max or IMTP measures and none of the regression models were significant. CONCLUSIONS: IMTP scores may not predict CPAT performance due to the skill component and pass/fail nature of the CPAT. These factors could result in reduced variability in time to complete the CPAT despite varying physiological responses to the standardized firefighting ability test. Thus, recruit muscular strength and aerobic fitness may not have been associated with time to complete the CPAT in the present study. Future research should record physiological responses (heart rate, RPE, etc.) in addition to time to complete the CPAT.