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Police academies traditionally emphasize the importance of being physically fit. The purpose of this research was to determine cadet baseline physical fitness characteristics and assess effectiveness of a 16-week training program. Sixty-eight cadets (61 males, 7 females) volunteered to have baseline physical fitness characteristics assessed, and fi...
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Context 1
... the end of the training sessions, the cadets performed a cool-down using static stretching. A representative week of the PT program is shown in Table 1. This program was outlined by the state MCOLES physical training manual and supervised by a law enforcement officer on the academy staff who had attended a training program through the Cooper Institute (Law Enforcement Fitness Specialist course). ...Similar publications
The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a physical training program and semester break periods on the chosen physical abilities and basic body composition indicators among police trainees. Body weight (BW), waist circumference (WC), push-ups (PU), sit-ups (SU) and 2.4 km run (RUN) times of 420 male trainees attending the Abu...
The reasons why North African women's football teams do not progress to the final phases of world cup competitions may be related to anthropometry and physical fitness. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics of young elite Tunisian female players with age-specific international standards....
Citations
... A police department in a small, rapidly expanding city sought to establish a collaborative partnership with our academic laboratory. The objective was to address the multifaceted challenges that impact the health of law enforcement personnel [5,8,11,12]. This study represents the initial step to enhancing the health and fitness of the officers. ...
... This is primarily attributable to the demanding nature and structure of their work [7][8][9][10]. Police officers are expected to maintain a level of physical fitness that exceeds the average citizen in order to effectively carry out their duties and protect the community [11]. Many locations in the United States require passing a physical fitness test during police academy training but, once graduated, officers are not held to the same physical standard. ...
... Although older research has found above average cardiovascular measures within the police population, the substandard cardiovascular fitness found with our sample population demonstrates a clinically significant downward trend. This finding could suggest a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease [4,11] which contributes to comorbidities associated with extended periods of hyper-alertness due to shift work and prolonged working hours [17,30,31]. It is not uncommon to see individuals testing below the average recommended norms in the general population with the current issues of above average obesity rates and low physical fitness [32]; however, general fitness standards for police officers are higher due to job requirements [1,7,18]. ...
Physical fitness is mandatory for public safety officers. Police officers experience elevated levels of cardiovascular disease and associated risks making fitness a peak concern. Officers often have more marked fitness level decreases with aging compared to the general population. This cross-sectional study investigated the cardiovascular health, muscular strength/endurance, and mobility of officers in a medium-sized police department (N = 83); (4 females, 79 males), age (36.82 ± 10 years), height (179.02 ± 7.7 cm), body mass (95.1 ± 16.29 kg) compared to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines. The findings revealed that police officers begin their careers with above average strength but demonstrate greater declines with age than the general population. Officers also demonstrated cardiovascular fitness below ACSM standards and significant decreases with aging compared to the general population. Body fat percentages (p = 0.003) and BMI (p = 0.028) surpassed recommendations, with higher than normal increases with age. Maximum vertical jump decreased as officers age (p = 0.004). These findings support the implementation of a targeted physical fitness regimen and the resources for a program designed to improve current health and fitness, reduce the greater than expected decreases with aging, and aim to optimize occupational performance and the safeguarding of the lifelong health and well-being of officers.
... Typically, cadet fitness programs are embedded in police academies, with three to five sessions per week for a duration of 30 to 60 minutes each. 9 However, these programs often incorporate very basic elements of cardiovascular training (running, marching, jumping, stair climbing), muscle fitness (pushups, squats, lunges), and flexibility (dynamic stretch and static stretches). 10 Commonly, LEO lead programs do not follow best practices, rely heavily on instructors' previous experiences, and rarely address potential chronic injuries or improve occupational readiness. ...
... 21 Additionally, this study supports previous research that tailored training programs significantly impact fitness variables. 9 Training programs need to reflect the occupation demains in the field of tactical strength and conditioning, which is critical to instilling proper training habits for LEO. 5 Careful planning of physical training programs can bring about more meaningful changes in occupational tasks, as shown by the differences in this study. ...
... 23 Additionally, Crawley et al emphasized the importance of establishing healthy practices to promote weight management throughout an officer's career. 9 Although no differences were found in weight changes, the emphasis on the maintenance of a healthy weight should be instilled in cadet training. Previous studies suggest that maintaining mobility can lead to less general pain and longer careers. ...
Background: Law enforcement physical fitness training is not standardized in the United States; instead, it relies heavily on training officers or other LEOs with an interest or background in exercise. The aim of the study was to evaluate performance outcomes between a traditionally designed physical conditioning program and an evidence-based conditioning program for law enforcement cadets. Methods: Two metropolitan state law enforcement training centers in the southeast United States volunteered to participate in this investigation. Each academic program lasted 12 weeks and consisted of 5 days/week of physical training. The experimental group (n=46) was provided with an evidence-based physical conditioning program consisting of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning, agility, power, movement quality, defensive tactics, and muscular endurance. Results: The control group participants (n=18) were assigned to a traditional instructor-led physical training program consisting of calisthenics and running. Of the 14 fitness variables measured, the intervention group displayed significant improvements in ten variables, whereas the control group significantly improved six. Conclusions: The results of this study encourage law enforcement departments to make provisions for modifications to enhance traditional cadet physical training programs, with consultation from strength and conditioning subject matter experts.
... Improving the traditional health-related components of physical fitness (i.e., body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility) is essential to enhancing policing skills and quality of life [11,12]. However, it is essential to highlight the following: (i) male police officers perform significantly better than female police officers on all measures of physical fitness [1,13-16]; (ii) the significant association between increasing age and decline in physical fitness is known [4,13,14,17,18]; and (iii) that there is a decline in fitness with advancing age-it is noteworthy that strength decreases by 7% to 8% per decade after age 40, and by 25 to 27% at age 70, and aerobic capacity (absolute VO 2 max) decreases~10%/decade after age 30 (however, in athletes who continue to train the decrease is reduced by half, i.e., 5%) [16]. ...
... However, the physical fitness assessment periods are associated with the duration of each police academy's formative training or the training curriculum being implemented [2,17,[19][20][21][22]. Accordingly, it is important to highlight those studies that (i) conduct training programs over a multi-week period and tend to assess the effect of training in a similar manner (before, during, and after the training program) (e.g., [23]), or (ii) for more extended periods, tend to conduct assessments at the beginning and end of each academic semester or year [24]. ...
... Push-up test in 60 s [17] (only female cadets; since 2017/2018). Start in a plank position, supporting feet and hands on the ground, with hands approximately shoulder-width apart, with fingers pointing forward and the back sealed. ...
This study examines the effect of gender, age, and a 4-year training course for police officers (CFOP) on the physical fitness attributes of Portuguese police academy cadets. This longitudinal cohort study considered 686 police cadets (female, n = 131; male, n = 555 male), corresponding to 2578 fitness assessments (female, n = 509; male, n = 2069). The database of police cadets' physical fitness evaluations (from 2004/2005 to 2019/2020) comprises body size, speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity first assessment (T0) and evaluations at the end of the first four years of the CFOP (T1, T2, T3, T4). Results showed that (i) female cadets are younger (p < 0.05), shorter, lighter, less fast, less agile, less strong, and perform worse in aerobic capacity assessments than male cadets (all, p < 0.001) but perform better in the flexibility assessment (p < 0.001); (ii) female cadets > 29 years are significantly heavier, slower, jump less, perform fewer sit-ups, and perform less on the Cooper test (but they have more handgrip strength), and male cadets > 29 years are significantly heavier, slower, jump less, perform fewer sit-ups, and have less flexibility and aerobic capacity (still, they have superior back and lumbar strength and handgrip strength); and (iii) from T0 to T4 (∆), female cadets are significantly faster (60 m, −0.32 s; slalom, −0.78 s), jump further (+4 cm), have more abdominal strength endurance (+2.6 repetitions) and more back and lumbar strength (+89.8 kg), and male cadets are significantly heavier (+3.27 kg), faster (60 m, −0.23 s; 30 m, −0.15 s; slalom, −0.91 s), jump further (+8 cm), complete more repetitions in the sit-ups (+4.9 repetitions) and in pull-ups (+2.5 repetitions) and have more back and lumbar strength (+92.1 kg) and handgrip strength (+8.6 kg) but a lower aerobic capacity (Cooper test, −74.8 m; VO 2 max, −1.3 mL/kg/min) when compared to T0. The study's findings lead to widely accepted conclusions within the discipline. Nevertheless, this work provides valuable insights into the impact of various factors on the physical fitness of Portuguese police academy cadets, i.e.: (i) it is an essential study with practical implications for recruitment, training, and the ongoing development of Portuguese police academy cadets and police officers; and (ii) these results can also assist in tailoring training programs to different age groups and genders, which is crucial in police training.
... It should also be noted that only four studies were conducted with policemen, and of these, two were dedicated to studying overweight or obese policemen. Nevertheless, (i) Crawley et al. [7], observed significant improvements in a considerable number of fitness parameters in police academy cadets after 8 weeks of the training program (and no significant improvement from 8 to 16 weeks); (ii) Čvorović et al. [8], observed significant improvements in anthropometric parameters and performance among police recruits after a 12-week training program; and (iii) Sá et al. [24] suggested that a 16-week combined training program helps increase physical fitness in Portuguese elite police officers. ...
... The participants were allowed to rest on the "top", but always maintained the plank position. The test lasted 60 s [7]. ...
... The performers were given one training opportunity, and the second was an evaluation. The result of the performance was obtained through the performer's mark in seconds [7]. ...
This study aims to evaluate the effect of a 12-week physical training program on police officers' physical fitness attributes. Thirty male police officers (age, 31.03 ± 3.15 years) participated in this experimental study, having carried out a 12-week physical training program (01−04/2023), 3 times/week with an average duration of 1 h/session (through circuit work, body weight exercises, and exercises with additional weight). The physical fitness evaluations were performed at three time points (weeks: 0, T0; 8, T1; 12, T2), and consisted of morphological (height, weight, waist circumference, fat and muscle mass, body mass index, and waist-to-height ratio) and fitness (push-ups; sit-ups; pull-ups; handgrip; horizontal jump; shuttle-run test; t-test; sit-reach test) evaluations. Were observed significant improvements at (i) 8 week (T1), in waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and all fitness tests (except in flexibility, handgrip right/left sum, and VO 2max); and (ii) 12 weeks (T2), in relative fat mass, relative muscle mass, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and all the fitness tests. Although 8 weeks of training allowed us to observe improvements in most of the physical fitness attributes, all of them improved significantly in the 12-week physical training program. In accordance, prolonging the duration of the training program from, 8 to 12 weeks, results in strong improvement in the physical fitness of police officers.
... In view of exposure to violence and crime, the work of police officers is considered a dangerous work activity [1,2]. Physically, police work is mostly sedentary, however there are occasions when significant and suddenly physical effort is required [3][4][5], demanding quick physical adaptation to complete critical tasks [6]. these situations include, for example, pursuit of suspects (on foot), transport and arrest of detained individuals, rescue operations, direct confrontation, and crowd control [3,6,7]. ...
... Physically, police work is mostly sedentary, however there are occasions when significant and suddenly physical effort is required [3][4][5], demanding quick physical adaptation to complete critical tasks [6]. these situations include, for example, pursuit of suspects (on foot), transport and arrest of detained individuals, rescue operations, direct confrontation, and crowd control [3,6,7]. ...
... In addition, the average fat percentage presented in the analysed studies was between 12 and 28.2% [11], which includes several classifications. As previously mentioned, these capa-bilities are important not just for health, but also for the police officer's job performance [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. For example, excellent aerobic capacity can be used for pursuits on foot, while good muscle endurance is used for carrying the extra load of weapons or body armour [11]. ...
Purpose
To investigate the changes that occur to body composition and physical fitness of newly admitted military police officers that undergo a training course involving a 24 weeks of physical training.
Methods
One-hundred and seven male police officers were evaluated before, after 12 weeks, and after 24 weeks of physical training. Body mass, fat mass, fat-free mass, fat percentage and body mass index were measured. Physical capabilities of strength (push-ups), muscle resistance (sit-ups), handgrip strength, and aerobic capacity (VO<sub>2</sub>max) were also measured.
Results
An Anova with repeated measurements showed that after 24 weeks, there was a decrease ( p < 0.01) of fat mass and fat percentage, and an increase ( p < 0.01) in fat-free mass, number of push-ups, handgrip strength, and VO<sub>2</sub>max. Most of the dependent variables already showed the best values in week 12.
Conclusions
Positive changes were observed in the body composition, aerobic capacity, and muscle strength of newly admitted military police officers at the end of 24 weeks of physical training, applied during the Soldier Training Course, compared to the beginning. However, the improvements occurred up to 12 weeks, with no new improvements after this, suggesting that modifications to the physical training are necessary.
... Besides extending the literature on the effects of short-term fitness and marksmanship training programmes (Charles and Copay, 2001;Crawley et al. 2016;Čvorović et al. 2021;Dimitrijević et al. 2014;Vučković et al. 2008), our main contribution is to provide solid causal evidence on the positive short-term impact this training scheme has on these dimensions. To our knowledge, this is first attempt to evaluate the performance of this sort of international initiative. ...
This research evaluates an onsite training programme for the security forces in Burkina Faso. This scheme is part of the Rapid Action Groups for Surveillance and Intervention in the Sahel Project; an EU initiative for improving the effectiveness of national security forces in counterterrorism actions and policing the territory and its borders. Considering the short, intensive and residential nature of the programme, we use a before-after study design to determine the scheme’s causal effects on participants’ marksmanship skills and physical fitness. Our findings suggest that this scheme has a highly positive impact on these dimensions, even though the benefits differ across participants.
... Age was associated in several studies as a predictor of a decline in physical fitness [3,9,10]. With increasing age, higher levels of obesity and overweightness, whereas poorer motor skills, have been observed, and LEO are potentially influenced by diseases and risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, sedentary lifestyle, and sudden physical and psychological stress [11,12]. ...
... The most used fitness components were in muscular endurance, the push-up, sit-up, and pull-up tests used in seventeen studies [3,10,11,[14][15][16][19][20][21][23][24][25][26][27][28]30,31]. The handgrip test and 1 RM bench press were used for muscular strength in ten studies [3,10,11,14,16,21,23,24,27,28]. ...
... The most used fitness components were in muscular endurance, the push-up, sit-up, and pull-up tests used in seventeen studies [3,10,11,[14][15][16][19][20][21][23][24][25][26][27][28]30,31]. The handgrip test and 1 RM bench press were used for muscular strength in ten studies [3,10,11,14,16,21,23,24,27,28]. For muscle power, the vertical jump, standing broad jump, and medicine ball throw were the main tests used in twelve studies [3,10,11,14,16,21,22,[24][25][26][27][28]. ...
Physical fitness tests are a standard means of evaluating the competence of police officers. This qualitative review aims (i) to document, compare, and examine the reference values available in the current literature regarding fitness tests for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), and (ii) to define reference values for the most used fitness tests to assess and predict police officer performance. A total of 1879 records were collected for review from two major literature databases, PubMed and ScienceDirect. After applying our exclusion criteria, a total of 19 studies were considered. All studies demonstrated acceptable methodological quality in fitness assessment, and the most used components were muscle strength, muscular endurance, muscle power, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, flexibility, and agility. This review provides (i) a methodological definition for the physical fitness assessment that helps select the most used fitness tests, (ii) a standardised methodology for establishing reference data for fitness tests appropriate for LEOs; and (iii) aggregate reference values for selected fitness tests. This may improve selection and retention procedures, considering that this group performs its duties in an environment and under conditions that differ from those of other occupational groups. Complementarily, this qualitative review also provides a foundation for developing effective interventions to improve each aspect of fitness testing for police officers.
... It influences performance significantly by facilitating the transfer of power from the proximal body weight to the extremities [1], reducing training injuries, enhancing core stability, preventing injuries, and enhancing athletic performance [2][3][4][5][6]. It is important to note that core training plays a significant role in certain occupations (particularly those of soldiers, firefighters, and police officers) because they involve specialized tasks requiring unusual postures and movements, both of which increase the risk of injury [7]. Training the core enables the core muscles to develop sufficient flexibility and strength for performing tasks safely and effectively. ...
Background:
Core training can enhance athletic performance by enhancing core strength and stability. To achieve this outcome, however, a tailored training program is required; the normal military training curriculum is inadequate. The connection between cumulative weekly extracurricular training time, cumulative weekly extracurricular core training time and cadet performance is unknown.
Methods:
The association between cumulative weekly extracurricular training time, cumulative weekly extracurricular core training time and performance has been discovered using a descriptive epidemiological study methodology. Questionnaires were used to collect information on personal characteristics and weekly cumulative extracurricular (core) training time, as well as the results of the Chinese Army Physical Fitness Test (C-APFT), which included 100-m dash, 5000-m run, 3000-m armed training run, 400-m steeplechase, 800 m breaststroke, horizontal bar pull-ups, 2-min sit-ups, 2-min push-ups, and hand grenade throwing. This study recruited two hundred and twenty male cadets (aged 18 to 23 years, 19.68 ± 0.91) from a military medical university.
Results:
(a) The correlation between cumulative weekly extracurricular training time and C-APFT score is significant. The 100-m dash, 5000-m run, 3000-m armed training run, 400-m steeplechase, and 2-min push-ups performed the best when participants exercised for 5 to 10 h per week. (b) The number of cadets scoring good or excellent on the C-APFT improves with cumulative weekly extracurricular core training time. The recommended amount of core training for cadets per week is 120 min. (c) The average cumulative weekly extracurricular core training time was a effective predictor of performance on the 400-m steeplechase (R2 = 0.470, F = 10.641, P＜0.01), horizontal bar pull-ups (R2 = 0.238, F = 68.191, P＜0.01), 2-min sit-ups (R2 = 0.280, F = 84.710, P＜0.01), 100-m run (R2 = 0.031, F = 6.920, P＜0.01), 3000-m armed training run (R2 = 0.025, F = 5.603, P＜0.05), 2-min push-ups (R2 = 0.019, F = 4.295, P＜0.05), and hand grenade tossing (R2 = 0.025, F = 5.603, P＜0.05).
Conclusions:
Active participation in extracurricular core training can improve cadets' C-APFT scores. An average cumulative weekly extracurricular training duration of 5-10 h showed the most progress, and more than 120 min per week was ideal for extracurricular core training. The amount of extracurricular time spent on core training exercises each week can be used as a predictor of the C-APFT.
... This personnel executes, in the performance of their mission, a wide variety of actions, many of which are physical, where they may be required to: stop suspects, run, climb up/downstairs, pull, push, overcome obstacles, chase suspects, and use weapons from a vast panoply of options [2]. To perform these activities, tactical personnel require endurance, strength, speed, agility, and flexibility to undertake their profession [3]. ...
... The reviewed studies referred to TP/PO [13,28,30,32], firefighters [15,18,20,22,26,31,34], military [23,33], and cadets/recruits (police [3,16,19,21,25], firefighters [24,27,29] and military [14,17]). ...
... Of the 23 studies, fourteen were realized in the USA [3,13,15,16,18,22,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]33], two from UAE [19,32], and one from South Africa [14], Brazil [17], Iran [20], Russia [21], Denmark [23], Portugal [31], and China [34]. ...
This review aims (i) to identify and analyze the physical training programs used for tactical personnel (TP) and (ii) to understand the effects of physical training programs on the health and fitness, and occupational performance of tactical personnel. A literature search used the keywords 'Physical Training Program', 'Police', 'Law Enforcement', and 'Firefighter'. A total of 23 studies out of 11.508 analyzed were included. All studies showed acceptable methodological quality in assessing physical fitness (PF), and training programs' effect sizes (Cohen's d) on PF attributes were calculated. The results showed that physical training programs (duration > four weeks) can improve (medium-to-large effects) (i) measures of physical fitness and (ii) performance in simulations of occupationally specific tasks. This review provides summary information (i) to help select (or adjust) physical training programs for TP and (ii) to clarify the effect of different occupational-specific training interventions on fitness measures and health-related parameters for TP.
... In many job-specific fitness tests, recruits who are fast but not strong will be able to compensate for their limited strength by agility and speed (as is possible in the execution of police work). A number of studies have postulated that fitness tests should require all-round fitness, meaning that recruits must demonstrate a sufficient fitness level on a wide range of characteristics, in which weakness in one of the fitness characteristics relevant for police work cannot be compensated for by relative strength in another (Arvey et al., 1992;Cesario et al., 2018;Crawley et al., 2016;Lockie et al., 2018Lockie et al., , 2019. Dawes et al. (2016) argued that although having all-round fitness does not necessarily serve as a predictor of job performance, it does contribute to overall fitness, health, and injury prevention. ...
... The extra fitness tests used in this study have been found in the literature to measure one (isolated) aspect of fitness and are therefore good reference tests that can be interpreted unambiguously. Moreover, the procedures adopted during testing are reflective of research incorporating law enforcement populations in the published scientific literature (Cocke et al., 2016;Crawley et al., 2016;Dawes et al., 2016Dawes et al., , 2017Orr et al., 2021). ...
... The strength of lower extremities was assessed via a vertical jump test. This test protocol has been previously performed in studies in police officers (Crawley et al., 2016;Dawes et al., 2017). The vertical jump height was measured using a wooden board. ...
Fitter police recruits are more likely to graduate, are less injury-prone, and fatigue less rapidly. Although most police academies implement fitness testing to ensure a minimum standard of job-specific fitness, academies may benefit from utilizing fitness tests that challenge recruits beyond the minimum fitness demand. The current study evaluated whether a fitness test called Professional Fit (ProfFit) of a police academy aligned with the academy’s purpose to challenge their recruits to become optimally fit. We evaluated whether the ProfFit measures an all-round range of fitness characteristics. Moreover, we evaluated whether the ProfFit measures higher fitness levels than the minimum fitness demand for duty. Police recruits ( N = 103) were tested on the ProfFit, six extra fitness tests known to measure one (isolated) aspect of fitness, and a standard practice job-specific fitness test. Results showed that the ProfFit measures an all-round range of fitness characteristics: anaerobic power, strength lower extremities, strength upper extremities, isometric strength, and muscular endurance of the trunk muscles. The results also showed that recruits indicated a higher rating of perceived exertion during the ProfFit than during the job-specific fitness test, indicating that they experienced the ProfFit as more demanding than the minimum fitness demand for duty. It was concluded that the ProfFit facilitates to challenge police recruits physically, as was the aim of the police academy. These findings provide empirical support for fitness tests that aim to improve police recruits’ fitness levels to be not just fit for duty, but rather optimally fit for duty.
