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Use of Physical Fitness Assessments in Tactical Populations Use of Physical Fitness Assessments in Tactical 07/22/2021 on BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC4/OAVpDDa8K2+Ya6H515kE= by http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj from Downloaded Downloaded Populations Robin M. Orr, PhD, TSAC-F*D,1,2 Robert Lockie, PhD, TSAC-F*D,1,3 Gemma Milligan, PhD,4 Cheryl Lim, BSc (Sport from Science and Management), TSAC-F,5 and Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT*D, TSAC-F, FNSCA1,6 http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj 1Tactical Research Unit, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia; 2Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia; 3Department of Kinesiology, Center for Sport Performance, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California; 4School of Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom; 5Soldier Development Branch, Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance, Singapore; and 6School of Kinesiology, Applied Health and Recreation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma by BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC4/OAVpDDa8K2+Ya6H515kE= This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. ABSTRACT stages of career progression to ensure that Assessments of physical fitness can be applicants (11,51), trained personnel (2), used as a measure of injury risk Physical fitness assessments for tactical and those seeking specialist selection (73,84,94),toprovideinformationongen- occupations (e.g., military, law enforce- (30,70) have the necessary physical fitness eral health and well-being (16), or to ment, and emergency services) can to meet their specific training or employ- ensure job-task capability and employabil- include predictive tests of anaerobic ment obligations. Occupational physical ity (19,47,96). As physical fitness assess- power, cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness assessments can include tests of ments can be used for different purposes, endurance, muscular power, strength, sustained anaerobic power, for exam- it is important for employers to under- agility, and/or simulated occupational ple, a 75-yard pursuit (11,51) and stand the purpose of the tests they are tasks. Not only can these tests be used 300-yard pursuit (87); using. This understanding will mitigate to assess the ability of someone to aerobic power, for example, shuttle run against lawsuits (6) and ensure validity undertake the job role but they can be assessments (2,17,73) and 2.4 km of the tests results (60). In understanding used to determine injury risk, training (2,12,47) and 3.2 km (30,87) dis- the use of an assessment, consideration failure, and/or general health. This review tance runs; also needs to be given to how the cut discusses different uses for physical fit- muscular endurance, for example, push- score (i.e., minimally acceptable standard) ness assessments and considerations ups (14,27,30,37,38,43,47,78,100), sit- is derived. Much debate of whether cut for their use in tactical populations. scores for physical fitness assessments on ups (14,27,30,37,38,43,47,100), and 07/22/2021 grip endurance (59); should, or should not, account for age muscle strength, for example, grip strength and sex is presupposed by their applica- INTRODUCTION (68,78,82), leg/back dynamometers, that tion. If a test is meant for selection (i.e., a hysical fitness assessments are is, a midthigh pull (17,18), and one or physical employment standard), it is widely used in public safety organi- three repetition maximum tests (72,79); argued it should be age and sex free Pzations where there is a high phys- muscular power, for example, verti- (93) because the nature of the task does ical demand. These organizations include cal (27,43,46,66,72) and broad not change. However, if the test is being the military (2,30,95), law enforcement (27,72) jumps; used to act as a health or general fitness (66,67), firefighter (7,83), and other rescue agility, for example, a change in screen, there is an argument for the services, such as beach lifeguards (77). direction test and T test (4,13); and assessments to consider the age and sex These professions often perform tasks that simulations of occupational tasks, for exam- of the individual (17). Therefore, the intent are highly physical in nature, and as such, ple, Work Sample Battery Test (WSBT) physical assessments are often used at all (47), the Physical Employment Stan- KEY WORDS: dards—Army (19), and the Royal Air military; law enforcement; fire and Address correspondence to Robin Orr, rorr@ rescue; army; police bond.edu.au. Force (RAF) COMBAT-T (96). Copyright Ó National Strength and Conditioning Association Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 1 Use of Physical Fitness Assessments of this article is to discuss some of the of fitness, even after 6 months of physical and often this training is more physically different uses for physical fitness assess- training. These findings of increased risks demanding than occupational service (65). ments in tactical populations and what of training-related injuries and attrition in Having these personnel injured or fail to these assessments mean for the associated military trainees are supported by studies complete training means that they in effect benchmarks in regard to age and sex from both the United Kingdom (8,80) fail to perform their daily training duties. equality or neutrality. and the United States (40,42) and have Second, a noted concern lies in the use of likewise been found in law enforcement ASSESSMENTS FOR PREDICTING physical fitness assessments to predict trainees (15,41,48,49,66). As such, a train- INJURIES/ATTRITION injury risk or training failure with ee’s level of fitness, regardless of their age When tactical personnel undergo a research findings often conflicting. For and sex, serves as an indicator of injury example, in 9 studies investigating rela- period of training, the risks of injury are risk during training. known to increase (65,73). In new train- tionships between a push-up test and ees, this is due to recruitment taking place Aspects of fitness, both metabolic and injuries, the results were almost evenly from the general population, who often musculoskeletal,havebeenfoundtobe divided with 5 studies finding relation- display varying levels of physical fitness associated with the ability of specialist ships (1,41,44,62,91) and 4 studies failing and training experience (11,50,51). As military (30) and police personnel (70) to document significant relationships such, the sudden increase in activity to succeed in specialist selection. In a (25,53,54,84). Two potential reasons for requirements resulting from physical study by Hunt, et al. (30), the researchers these conflicting results include the lack and occupational training may exceed a found that those who performed poorly of contextual specificity and a ceiling trainee’s previous training load and cur- in a loaded pack march (20 km with 28 effect. Context specificity refers to the rent capabilities (65). This change in kg), push-ups (two-second cadence), and similarity of the assessment regarding physical load brought on by an increase sit-ups (three-second cadence) were the mechanism of injury. For example, in physical conditioning, complexity of more likely to fail specialist selection. if one training institution completed high new physical tasks, and a reduced oppor- Orr et al. (70) found that levels of perfor- volumes of running as part of training, a tunity for recovery increases the risk of mance by specialist tactical response run assessment may be a predictor of risk; overtraining and potential injury police officers in pull-ups and push-ups theinversemaybetrueiftheinstitution (9,34,41,75). This increase in injury risk in 2 minutes, seven-stage sit-up, and a lift had a low run requirement, whereby a is likewise found in trained personnel and carry task for time were significantly run assessment may not predict injury undergoing specialist selection, whereby and positively correlated (rs 5 0.362– risk (94). As such, relationships between the selection process and subsequent spe- 0.508, p 5 0.010–0.042) with a level of fitness measures and injury/failing attri- cialist training cycle are intensive and selection success. In both examples, the tion risk must be context specific (i.e., physically demanding (30,70). specialist selection courses were physi- training environment). Similarly, research cally demanding and included relatively Poor levels of fitness, both metabolic results may be conflicting because of a high volume of physical training, physi- and musculoskeletal, have been associ- ceiling effect, whereby the fitness level cal task performance (including loaded ated with a higher risk of training- of trainees is well above that required pack marching and victim recovery), related injuries and attrition of a given task. For example, if the train- and limited recovery opportunities. Dur- (8,22,30,32,33,40,42,57,66,70,73,74). ees are, in general, very aerobically fit, yet ing these selection courses, a primary Pope et al. (73) found that the risk of thetrainingtheyareundertakinghasa selection success saw applicants com- attrition through failing to complete mil- very low aerobic fitness requirement, plete the course (i.e., did not suffer an itary training was approximately 25 times they may be well above a potential injury injury). In addition, applicants were gen- greater in trainees who scored poorly threshold (94). Both Hunt et al. (30) and erally graded based on their performance (bottom percentiles) on the 20-m pro- Orr et al. (70) discussed this limitation, on physical, tactical, and technical tasks. gressive shuttle run test (PSRT) when whereby, in both of their studies, the aer- These findings suggest that even in well- compared to trainees who scored highly obic fitness of the personnel involved in trained personnel, any physical perfor- (upper percentiles).
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