Dr Mark Abel (University of Kentucky): Firefighting Research

Mark Abel, Ph.D., CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D is an Associate Professor and Director of the First Responder Research Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Abel conducts research to improve the safety, health, and occupational readiness of firefighters and law enforcement officers. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on tactical topics. He also teaches undergraduate courses in Strength and Conditioning and graduate courses in High Performance Coaching and Tactical Strength and Conditioning. He has served as a firefighter. He received the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Tactical Strength and Conditioning Practitioner of the Year Award and Senior Investigator Grant to conduct research on firefighters. He served as an inaugural member of the NSCA’s Tactical Strength and Conditioning – Facilitator (TSAC-F) Certification Exam Development Committee and the TSAC-Special Interest Group. He has served as a contributor and reviewer for the TSAC Report for 7 years. Dr. Abel also owns Tactical Fitness Institute, LLC which develops legally defensible physical ability standards for fire departments and law enforcement agencies. 

In this episode Mark talks about:

• His journey from Firefighter, to coach to academic.

• Perceived vs measured aerobic fitness levels and fire ground performance.

• The influence of age on firefighter occupational performance.

Resources discussed:

Block periodization by Issurin

Periodization: theory and methodology of training by Bompa and Haff

Hard work by Sharkey and Davis

You can contact Mark via email at: mark.abel@uky.edu; tacticalfitnessinstitute@gmail.com; or you can follow him on social media via Linkedin.

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