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High Heart Rate = Poor Decision-making!
I recently read a book (I know; ice water is being passed out in Hell as we speak).
It was very enlightening.
It suggests that the higher the heart rate goes, the more likely is that we lose good decision-making ability.
That is to say; if you get excited at a fire and your heart rate goes up to say, 175; you are going to make poor decisions due to your excited state.
However; if you remain calm with a rate of around 120 or less, you are more apt to make good decisions. Your "cool under fire" comes from training, knowledge, experience and maturity.
Therefore; younger ones will be more excitable and older, more experienced jakes will be less excitable.
Would you agree?
TCSS.
Art
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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This is an underlying consideration to firefighters who suffer cardiac events. Especially when you have coronary artery disease. Tones drop, fight or flight stimuli, HR goes from a super low sleeping state (HR) to athelete in full workout "without any warm ups" and plaque is loosened. It turns our ti be a false alarm, you don't burn off the stimuli, and post return to station or home, and chest pains set in... as the plaque finds a new home for which it doesn't pass through.
Very few professions for which our bodies are subjected to the same stressors.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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What is maximum heart rate?
The maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate achieved during maximal exercise. One simple method to calculate your predicted maximum heart rate, uses this formula:
220 - your age = predicted maximum heart rate
Example: a 40-year-old's predicted maximum heart rate is 180 beats/minute.
There are other formula's that take into account, the variations in maximal heart rate with age and gender. If you are interested in learning more about these more accurate but slightly more complicated formula's, please see these resources:
Gellish RL, Goslin BR, Olson RE, McDonald A, Russi GD, Moudgil VK. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 May;39(5):822-9. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17468581
Gulati M, Shaw LJ, Thisted RA, Black HR, Bairey Merz CN, Arnsdorf MF. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the st. James women take heart project. Circulation. 2010 Jul 13;122(2):130-7. Epub 2010 Jun 28. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20585008
Please note that some medications and medical conditions may affect your heart rate. If you are taking medications or have a medical condition (such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes), always ask your doctor if your maximum heart rate/target heart rate will be affected. If so, your heart rate ranges for exercise should be prescribed by your doctor or an exercise specialist.
Your actual maximum heart rate is most accurately determined by a medically supervised maximal graded exercise test.
What is target heart rate?
You gain the most benefits and lessen the risks when you exercise in your target heart rate zone. Usually this is when your exercise heart rate (pulse) is 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. In some cases, your health care provider may decrease your target heart rate zone to begin with 50 percent.
It is not recommended to exercise above 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Intensity at that level increases both cardiovascular and orthopedic risk without providing a significant additional benefit from the exercise.
Always check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Your health care provider can help you find a program and target heart rate zone that matches your needs, goals and physical condition.
When beginning an exercise program, you may need to gradually build up to a level that is within your target heart rate zone, especially if you have not exercised regularly before. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise more if you don't try to over-do it!
To find out if your are exercising in your target zone (between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate), stop exercising and check your 10-second pulse. If your pulse is below your target zone, increase your rate of exercise. If your pulse is above your target zone, decrease your rate of exercise.
What is your target zone?
Target Heart Rate Zones by Age *
Age Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60 - 85%) Predicted Maximum HR
20 120 – 170 200
25 117 – 166 195
30 114 – 162 190
35 111 – 157 185
40 108 – 153 180
45 105 – 149 175
50 102 – 145 170
55 99 – 140 165
60 96 – 136 160
65 93 – 132 155
70 90 – 123 150
Your Actual Values (Actual values are determined from a graded exercise test)
Target HR: Max. HR:
* This chart is based on the the formula: 220 - your age = predicted maximum heart rate
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Murphy on
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Slowing down your emergency response (within reason) is best. Slowing your actions will slow your heart-rate and your mind. I tell my drivers, quick not fast. On scene, go as slow as you need, to get the job done right the first time. It will do no good to arrive at step 9, only to have to go back and check steps 1-8 because you missed something. Count your steps off, out loud, when putting it in pump. That way when you close the cab door you are reasonably sure if you have a problem it will not be in the cab. "Slow is fast, and fast is slow". Over time, competency will kick in and you will operate at a perceived fast pace. But, it will be because you have learned the balance of how to operate in the competency-zone where you are most efficient with your speed and actions.
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Permalink Reply by Rod Irvine on
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this is so true i dont know how many times i have hit the ceiling when we get woken at nite and then you spend an hour after the call trying to relax so you can go back to bed ,
No other job does this to you except maybe the armed forces .
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speaking of graded tests have any of the people on how partaken in the Cuningham folkner firefighters fitness test ? I have tried when i was a personal trainer and it is no fun .
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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One of the examples that I read are police car chases. Researchers found that the faster the car was driven and the longer the chase went, the higher the heart rate.
When LEO finally caught the perp, they proceeded to beat the crap out of them. Part of the reason is attributed to high heart rate causing the brain to short circuit.
LEO has often been accused of lying about their post chase activities, when in fact, they don't have very good recall, because of the chemical change in the brain.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Weber on
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I have to go along with this due to my own experience.15 years ago I had a near miss with an apparatus because I din't slow down and take a breath before I left for a call.That teaches you REAL fast.Some of our folks are out the door and on the road before the dispatch is over,then they are on the radio 100 miles per hour asking for directions and updates and general stuff they would have heard if they just would have taken a second to listen to the dispatch.
Admittidley,most of them are younger folks.But we do have a fellow in his 70's who is getting worse instead of better.I think it all comes down to training and being mentored by folks who don't go through the roof just because the pager goes off.
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