Field Notes "Fitness and Work Capacity", Forthcoming Third Edition
The first edition of "Fitness and Work Capacity," published in 1977, was designed to help field workers and wildland firefighters achieve fitness, enhance health, and improve work capacity. The second edition, published in 1997, updated information on fitness, health, and work capacity. It included additional material on nutrition, hydration, the work environment, work hardening (training that prepares the body for specific tasks), and injury prevention. It also introduced a new generation of work capacity tests that replaced the step test. A field-based advisory group helped design the forthcoming third edition to better meet the needs of fire and field personnel. Portions of the booklet were reviewed by crew bosses experienced in firefighter training.
The 2008 edition, which should be available by late summer, will provide specific fitness training guidelines for firefighters, incident management personnel, field workers, and others interested in the health benefits of regular physical activity. It provides new information on nutrition (use of shift food), hydration, injury prevention (core training), and assessment of fitness and work capacity. It reinforces the need for regular, moderate physical activity for all employees.
Brian Sharkey, author of the first and second editions, has been joined by Steve Gaskill of the University of Montana Human Performance Laboratory in preparing the third edition. Sharkey has studied wildland firefighters since 1964. He is professor emeritus at the University of Montana, a project leader at MTDC, and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Gaskill was a coach for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team before earning a doctorate in exercise physiology. His research includes laboratory and field studies of wildland firefighters. Sharkey and Gaskill coauthored "Sport Physiology" (2006) and "Fitness and Health," 6th ed. (2007, http://www.HumanKinetics.com).
Core training using the back rise.
Joe Domitrovich will be joining the team studying wildland firefighter health and safety at MTDC and the University of Montana. Domitrovich is a wildland firefighter with a master's degree in exercise science who has experience conducting field studies of wildland firefighters. He will work part time at MTDC while completing a Ph.D. at the University of Montana.
