The Effects of Nutritional Supplementation on Occupational Performance in Firefighters

Fatigue Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effects of Protein and Carbohydrate Supplementation, With and Without Creatine, on Occupational Performance in Firefighters

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06172543
• Other study ID #: UWisconsinLaCrosse
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 1, 2023
• Est. completion date: August 1, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: December 2023
• Source: University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of protein and carbohydrate supplementation, with and without creatine, on occupational performance in firefighters. Research has examined the effects of adding creatine to whey protein and carbohydrates on training adaptations in resistance-trained individuals with mixed finding.

Furthermore, the ergogenic benefit of protein and carbohydrate supplementation, with or without creatine, in firefighters is largely unknown. Therefore, the primary aim of the current study was to examine the effects of protein and carbohydrate supplementation, with or without creatine, on occupational performance in firefighters.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: August 1, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: August 1, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 55 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a firefighter between the ages of 18-55 years of age, and medically cleared for field duty.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any current musculoskeletal or neurological condition that would prohibit the completion of performance testing.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Fatigue

Intervention

Dietary Supplement:
• Creatine Monohydrate
Participants were assigned to ingest a single serving daily of either A) a 25-gram dose of whey protein isolate + 25-gram dose of carbohydrate powder (ProCarb); or B) a 25-gram dose of Whey Protein Isolate + 25-gram dose of carbohydrate powder + 5-gram dose of creatine monohydrate (Creatine) for a 17-21-day period.
• Control
A 25-gram dose of whey protein isolate + 25-gram dose of carbohydrate powder (ProCarb)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Fire Department	La Crosse	Wisconsin

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Ward Dobbs	Des Moines University, Lindenwood University, Mayo Clinic

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Time to completion	Time to completion for tasks including a hose carry, body drag, stair climb, and forcible entry (Keiser sled hammer) for time. For the hose carry, firefighters advanced a 30.48 m section of a charged 4.45 cm hose line over a distance of 30.5 m in a straight line before flowing water for 2 seconds. Rescue consisted of firefighters being instructed to grasp a mannequin (mass 50 kg, height: 180 cm) underneath the shoulders using a "seatbelt" grip and dragging the mannequin 30.5 m backward. This test is known as the body drag. Stair climb consisted of climbing four flights of stairs and returning to the bottom as quickly as possible. In the forcible entry, firefighters struck a simulated forcible entry chopping device (Keiser FORCE Machine, Keiser Co., USA) using a 3.6 kg sledgehammer until completed. The total time to complete each task was recorded, in addition to the total completion time for all tasks summed together.	24 Days
Primary	Time Trial	A maximal effort, 3.5 km time trial on an air-braked cycle ergometer (Assault Bike, As-sault Fitness Products, Carlsbad, CA, USA).	24 Days