Profiling the metabolic fitness of a special operations police unit

Abstract

Fitness is essential to specialist police forces, who have higher occupational demands than general police, and vital to performance and mission success. However, little research has been done profiling the metabolic fitness of these units and how they compare to other populations. The objective of this study was to profile the aerobic fitness of a specialist police unit. Methods: Body weight was measured to account for any impact on metabolic fitness, while VO2 max was estimated via number of shuttles completed on the 20 m Progressive Shuttle Run Test (PSRT) (n=47) on two dates one calendar year apart. Results: There were no significant (p=.116) differences (mean difference 0.40±1.70 kg) in body weight between the initial measures (mean=88.84±8.25 kg) and the final measure (mean=89.24±8.77 kg) 13 months later. PSRT results increased significantly (p