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Objectives Fire departments have employed far-infrared sauna (FIRS) use as part of post-fire call protocols to address concerns related to carcinogens. The inability of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to fully recover following an emergency call, as demonstrated by heightened sympathetic nervous system activity and delayed parasympathetic nervous system reactivation, has been implicated as a potential factor related to sudden cardiac death. The use of a sauna post-fire call, which has been demonstrated to elevate body temperature, may interfere with the ability of the ANS to fully recover. The purpose of this study was to examine ANS responses to FIRS exposure in firefighters (FFs) with (EX) and without (NONEX) prior maximal exercise. Methods Sixteen career FFs participated in this study. Body temperature (TEMP), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), and blood lactate (La─) were measured at the start of each testing session, following a maximal exercise test (EX only), and immediately after a 15-min FIRS exposure for NONEX and EX. Results In NONEX, TEMP increased (P < 0.001); however, there was no change in HR, HRV, BP, or La─. In EX, BP remained unchanged while TEMP, HR, and La─ were significantly (P < 0.001) greater than baseline following FIRS exposure and HRV was significantly (P = 0.018) lower than baseline. Conclusions These findings indicate that FIRS following maximal exercise did support some ANS recovery, but may interfere with restoration of body temperature and parasympathetic nervous system reactivation, potentially influencing post-call cardiovascular risk in FFs.

Firefighting tasks may require near maximal levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. Previous research has indicated that body fat percentage (BF%) and aerobic capacity (VO2peak) are related to the performance of firefighting tasks. Since a standard submaximal treadmill test for firefighters is terminated at 85% of maximal heart rate (MHR), key performance information relating to maximal cardiorespiratory effort may not be measured in a submaximal test. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between body composition and time spent running at intensities greater that 85% MHR. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), BF%, MHR (bpm), VO2peak (mL/kg/min), predicted VO2peak (P-VO2peak; mL/kg/min), submaximal treadmill test time (WFIsub Test Time; min), and maximal treadmill test time (WFImax Test Time; min) were collected in fifteen active-duty firefighters. The results indicated that significant relationships (p < 0.05) existed between BF% and VO2peak, BF% and WFImax Test Time, BF% and Tdiff, and VO2peak and WFImax Test Time. P-VO2peak was not significantly different than VO2peak, and the WFImax Test Time was significantly longer than the WFIsub Test Time. These results indicate that a submaximal treadmill test may reasonably predict VO2peak, but key information about physiological work at intensities greater than 85% MHR may be missed when using submaximal effort tests.

Objectives: This study examined how goal orientation, motivational climate, and exercise could be used to predict college students' eating disorder symptomology. Participants: Recruited in February 2017, the participants included 275 college-aged students from a university in the southeastern United States. Methods: Using achievement goal theory as the framework to conceptualize motivations behind eating disorder behaviors, each participant filled out questionnaires related to goal mindsets, perceptions of the social climate in the university recreation center, and exercise habits. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses, with R coefficients being used to evaluate prediction models. Results: The results of the study suggested that goal orientation and ego-involving climate were the only significant predictors of eating disorder symptomology, accounting for 3.4% of the total variance. Conclusions: This study provided preliminary evidence of the importance of studying achievement goal theory-related variables that contribute to our understanding of eating disorder symptomology in the collegiate population.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the reliability and validity of the RESTQ-Sport-36 for use in the collegiate student-athlete population. A total of 494 collegiate student-athletes competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, II, or III sanctioned sport completed the RESTQ-Sport-36 and Brief Profile of Mood States (POMS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures were used to compare first order to hierarchical model structures. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis (χ2[528] = 1129.941, p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.050; CFI = 0.929) and exploratory structural equation modeling analysis (χ2[264] = 575.424, p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.013; CFI = 0.963) indicated that the first order 12-factor structure demonstrated the best fit of all models tested. Support was not observed for the fit of any hierarchical model. Moderate to strong correlations were observed between stress and recovery subscales and mood states, thus supporting the construct validity of the abbreviated RESTQ measurement model. The current findings provide support for the measure’s use in this population and give pause as it relates to the scoring and interpretation of hierarchical factors such as Total Stress and Total Recovery. Overall, the current results indicate that the RESTQ-Sport-36 may be a useful tool for collegiate student-athlete training load and competition monitoring.