Beneath The Helmet

From Fireground to Research: Annette Zapp on Translating Science into Firefighter Wellness In Season 4, Episode 101 of Beneath the Helmet, retired fire officer and Fire Rescue Wellness founder Annette Zapp (known as AZ) joins Arjuna George to explore how science can and must be translated into real-world tools for firefighters. This conversation covers sleep, training, hormones, recovery, creatine, and why consistency beats extremes. Annette shares her journey from the fireground to doctoral research, her mission to translate science for the end user, and what truly supports firefighter longevity. ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Season 4, Episode 101 01:00 – Annette’s journey: from fire service to PhD 02:30 – Translating research for firefighters 04:00 – Dogma vs science in the fire service 05:00 – Storytelling as the bridge to understanding 06:00 – Testosterone, hormones, and firefighter health 08:00 – Sleep as the foundation of wellness 10:00 – Bedtime, side jobs, and recovery 12:00 – Naps, sleep cycles, and the “nappuccino” 14:30 – The four pillars: sleep, nutrition, fitness, mental health 15:00 – Why sleep is the most upstream intervention 17:00 – Exercise for health vs training for performance 19:00 – Random acts of fitness vs fireground readiness 21:00 – Training in gear and biomechanics 24:00 – Fire Rescue Wellness and rebranding 27:00 – Creatine: myths, safety, and benefits 31:00 – Creatine and cognitive performance 34:00 – Heat, sweat rate, and upcoming research 36:30 – Consistency over extremes 38:00 – Coaching in the fire service 41:00 – Motivational interviewing and leadership 43:00 – Paying for coaching and valuing expertise 45:00 – Fire Rescue Wellness Podcast 46:30 – Seven Minute Science explained 48:00 – Where to find Annette and her work 50:00 – Future research and hormones 52:00 – Final reflections and wrap-up Key Topics in This Episode Translating science into firefighter languageSleep as the foundation of performanceFitness for health vs fitness for the firegroundHormones and long-term firefighter healthCreatine: what it is and what it actually doesWhy extreme approaches failCoaching as a leadership tool Guest: Annette Zapp Founder: Fire Rescue Wellness Website: www.firerescuewellness.org Instagram & LinkedIn: Fire Rescue Wellness / Annette Fire Rescue Wellness Creator of: Fire Rescue Wellness Podcast Co-creator of: Seven Minute Science (free science translation series) Related Listening If you’re interested in deeper conversations around trauma, emotional recovery, and the nervous system, you may also want to listen to Episode 77, Megan Lautz. Subscribe to Beneath the Helmet for grounded conversations on firefighter health, leadership, and self-leadership. If this episode helped you think differently about wellness, recovery, or training: Share it with someone on your crewPut one small idea into practice this weekSubscribe, share, and help this message reach the people who need it most.Host Arjuna George - Fire Chief (ret) 🚨 JOIN THE BTH COMMUNITY  📝 Podcast Newsletter: https://colossal-trailblazer-6113.ck.page/c0e1b81fbe  📨 LinkedIn Podcast Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7026972684089528321 ✅Become a BTH Ambassador for a one-time contribution of $23. Your Ambassador contribution supports the behind-the-scenes work that keeps this project alive. Click here to support the show 📺 WATCH & LISTEN 🌐 Full Episodes & Show Notes: www.beneaththehelmet.ca  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beneaththehelmetshow?sub_confirmation=1  🔥 SOCIALS & CONTACT  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beneaththehelmetshow/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunageorge/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beneaththehelmetshow/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beneaththehelmet 📩 Business Inquiries: arjuna@silverarrowco.com