Mandatory exercise and heart disease risk in fire fighters

Summary After undergoing initial assessments of percentage of body fat (% fat), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂Max), a group of 24 paid male fire fighters (mean age, 30.1 ± 7.7 years) began a mandatory exercise program. The physiological variables mentioned above were assessed once a year for the subsequent 5 years. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance followed by univariate post hoc techniques showed a minimal but statistically significant improvement in % fat (–1.43% ± 0.66%) and TG (–27.54 ± 10.44 mg/dl) over the 5-year period. Significant differences in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and VO₂Max were noted over the years, but their magnitudes were small and no pattern was demonstrated. Each of the 5-year means for TC, LDL-C, % fat, and VO₂Max were outside the desirable ranges. We concluded that mandatory exercise programs do not significantly alter the risk factor status or the aerobic fitness levels of fire fighters and that a significant number of the latter demonstrate a higher than average risk for cardiovascular disease.