The Effect of Firefighting and Sports Education Course on Physical Performance Development in Civil Defense and Firefighting Students: A Longitudinal Study

This study aims to evaluate changes in physical performance, body composition, and cardiorespiratory endurance parameters of students in the Civil Defense and Firefighting Program following a two-year firefighting and sports education course. Participants' physical and performance measurements, including body weight, skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), vertical jump, shuttle run, double-leg jump from the bench, single-handed wall ball throw, 30-meter sprint, and cardiorespiratory endurance (VO2max), were analyzed. During the training process, a 2.55% decrease in body weight (from 78.45±9.63 kg to 76.45±5.45 kg), an 8.68% increase in skeletal muscle mass (from 37.84±2.51 kg to 41.13±3.12 kg), a 19.20% decrease in body fat ratio (from 20.63±2.18 to 16.67±1.87) and a 14.66% decrease in BMI (from 22.64±1.87 kg/m² to 19.32±1.91 kg/m²) were observed. In functional performance tests, significant improvements were recorded in vertical jump (6%), shuttle run (8%), double-footed bench jump (12%), one-handed wall ball throw (30%), and occupational coordination time (11%). A significant increase of 11.17% was observed in cardiorespiratory endurance, while a limited improvement (1%) was observed in 30-m sprint performance (p = 0.003). The two-year firefighting and sports training course significantly improved key performance indicators, including muscle mass, body fat percentage, and cardiorespiratory endurance among young firefighter candidates. However, the limited improvements observed in areas that require speed and explosive power suggest that these components should be emphasized more in training programs. This study underscores the importance of interdisciplinary and targeted training programs to optimize professional performance and enhance the physical competence of firefighter candidates.