Investigation of the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness on cardiometabolic risk factors and testosterone levels in firefighters

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of cardiorespiratory fitness on cardiometabolic risk factors and testosterone levels among firefighters. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with seventy-four firefighters working in a metropolitan municipality. Anthropometric measurements, cardiometabolic risk parameters (high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol), total testosterone (TT) levels were clinically evaluated for each participant. Results: The proportion of firefighters with low TT was 20.3%, and a statistically significant negative relationship was found between TT and weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference, and HbA1c as cardiometabolic risk factors (p < 0.05). Additionally, statistically significant positive relationship was observed between metabolic equivalent scores and testosterone levels among the firefighters (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The key findings of this study reveal significant differences in various cardiometabolic risk factors between firefighters with high fitness levels and those with lower fitness levels.