Linking (Military) Fitness Tests for Job Selection or Retention with Job Performance

Research Paper Title Fitness Tests and Occupational Tasks of Military Interest: A Systematic Review of Correlations. Background Physically demanding occupations (i.e. military, firefighter and law enforcement) often use fitness tests for job selection or retention. Despite numerous individual studies, the relationship of these tests to job performance is not always clear. Methods This review examined… Read More

Charting the Development & Validation of a Physical Fitness Test & Maintenance Standards for Canadian Forces Diving Personnel

Research Paper Title Phase III Report: Development and Validation of a Physical Fitness Test and Maintenance Standards for Canadian Forces Diving Personnel. Abstract The objectives of Phase III were to develop a physical fitness test battery and maintenance standards for Canadian Forces Diving Personnel, specifically Clearance (Cl), Ships’ Team (ST), Port Inspection (PID) and Combat (Cbt) divers. Phases I and II were… Read More

Is There Any Correlation between Physical Fitness Tests & Performance of Military Tasks?

Research Paper Title Correlations between Physical Fitness Tests & Performance of Military Tasks – A Systematic Review & Meta-Analyses. Purpose To help evaluate the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and ensure a future test is associated with Soldiers’ performance of common physical job requirements, the USAPHC applied a Systematic Review (SR) methodology to identify and synthesize published… Read More

Assessment of Chest Pain in a Low Risk Patient: Is The Exercise Tolerance Test Obsolete?

Discussion Paper Title Assessment of chest pain in a low risk patient: is the exercise tolerance test obsolete? Background This is one of a series of occasional articles that highlight areas of practice where management lacks convincing supporting evidence. The series adviser is David Tovey, editor in chief, the Cochrane Library. To suggest a topic for this series, please… Read More

Assessing the Evidence regarding Warm-ups for Military Fitness Testing

Research Paper Title Warm-ups for military fitness testing: rapid evidence assessment of the literature. Background Warm-up exercises are commonly used before exercise as a method to physiologically prepare for strenuous physical activity. Various warm-up exercises are often implemented but without scientific merit and, at times, may be detrimental to performance. To date, no systematic reviews… Read More

Older People & Physical Activity

Older people are bombarded with advice to keep active. A cross sectional survey of 3499 Irish people aged 65 and over shows that nearly 70% of respondents manage at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity five days a week (Age and Ageing 2015, doi:10.1093/ageing/afv042). It also shows that the variables most strongly… Read More

Women: Front-line Duties & Fitness Requirements

This question was posed in the December 2014 issue of Soldier Magazine by an anonymous soldier: “With regard to the debate on females possibly being allowed to carry out front-line combat duties in Infantry units, can someone tell me whether the fitness requirements will be adjusted if they are permitted to fill these roles? Currently, other regiments give women a little extra time on aerobic assessments and require them to do… Read More