The Use of Fitness Testing to Predict Occupational Performance in Tactical Personnel: A Critical Review

Robin Orr, Takato Sakurai, Jordan Scott, Jason Movshovich, J. Jay Dawes, Robert Lockie and Ben Schram
Additional contact information
Robin Orr: Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
Takato Sakurai: Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
Jordan Scott: Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
Jason Movshovich: Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
J. Jay Dawes: Tactical Research Unit, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
Robert Lockie: Tactical Research Unit, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia
Ben Schram: Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD 4229, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: Tactical personnel work in an occupation that involves tasks requiring a high level of cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular strength and endurance. The aim of this literature review was to identify and critique studies investigating the relationship between physical fitness, quantified by fitness assessment measures, and occupational task performance. Databases were searched for relevant articles which assessed a fitness measure and a measure of occupational performance. A total of 15 articles were included and were deemed to be of acceptable methodological quality (8.4/12 on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist). Included articles assessed a variety of fitness attributes and occupational tasks. Across tactical groups, there appear to be no standardized fitness tests that can determine occupational performance, with aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness, strength, endurance, power, and agility all being associated with occupational task performance. A wide range of fitness assessments appears to be required to predict occupational performance within tactical personnel. Efforts should be made to base fitness assessments on occupational demands unique to both the environment and requirements of each individual tactical unit.

Keywords: assessment; task performance; injury risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7480/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7480/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7480-:d:593586

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().