The Number One Threat

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Within the police population, the Officer Down Memorial Page reports 137 deaths from 2001 to 2011 caused by heart attacks while on-duty - an average of nearly 14 deaths per year. 

A proactive way to begin changing these numbers is to start tracking heart rate recovery (HRR) in departmental fitness test protocols.  

Abnormal HRR values have been noted through numerous research studies to be a predictor of mortality. For the purpose of this article, an abnormal HRR is defined as the difference between heart rate at peak exercise, and exactly 1 min into the recovery period. 

Decreasing Mortality Risk

Cole, et al. conducted a six-year study (n = 2428) that found a sensitivity of 56%, a specificity of 77%, a positive predictive value of 19%, and a negative predictive value of 95% with abnormally low HRR as a predictor of death. They also noted it to be the strongest predictor of death when compared to other variables collected among participants within the study. 

The good news is that research shows the mortality risk can be decreased through effective exercise prescriptions (1,2). 

Jolly, et al. found that with an improvement from an abnormal HRR value to a normal value through cardiac rehabilitation, the mortality risk can decrease. Their study (n = 1070)  included a 12-week, physician supervised program that consisted of appropriate warm-up and cool-down periods with 30–50 min of continuous aerobic exercise at an intensity of 50–80% of HRR (routine management of diet and clinical conditions were provided as well).  

With the data collected over the median follow-up period of eight years, researchers were able to note that participants who were able to normalize their abnormal HRR after cardiac rehabilitation had improved survival compared with those who remained abnormal (P<0.001).  

This study is significant, as it is suggested to be one of the largest studies to date that confirms these findings. 

Conclusion

Testing entry and follow-up HRR can be an effective, low-cost method to show progress within an exercise program when overall health improvement is a primary goal. It would also be a valuable test to include within a police departments’ fitness testing protocol as an indicator that officers can handle and recover from physical tasks related to the job. 

Additionally, HRR testing has the potential to identify underlying health issues before they result in tragedy, contributing to a department wellness program.

References 

1. Cole, CR, Blackstone, EH, Pashkow, FJ, Snader, CE, and Lauer, MS. Heart Rate Recovery Immediately After Exercise as a Predictor of Mortality. New England Journal of Medicine 341(18): 1351-1357, 1999. 
2.  Jolly, MA, Brennan, DM, and Cho, L. Impact of Exercise on Heart Rate Recovery. Circulation 124: 1520-1526, 2011.   

Suggested Further Reading 

About the Author

Katie Miller, RD, CSCS, TSAC-F, is a registered dietitian and certified strength coach with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Nutrition and Dietetics. She has served as a police officer in her previous local community, has trained with the Marine Corps, and currently trains with the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. At the NSCA, Katie currently works as a nutrition consultant and tactical athlete coordinator.