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.
Highlights
Tactical personnel, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, are required to undergo various physical tasks, all of which involve carrying external loads [1,2]
The aim of this literature review was to identify and critique studies that investigated the relationships between physical fitness, quantified by fitness assessment measures, and occupational task performance
These studies were evaluated against the inclusion and exclusion criteria which left 15 studies remaining for critical review (Table 2)
Summary
Tactical personnel, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, are required to undergo various physical tasks, all of which involve carrying external loads [1,2]. Firefighters carry heavy equipment in addition to wearing their own protective gear, while working under severe heat stress at near maximal heart rates for prolonged periods of time [7]. These physically demanding occupational tasks conducted by tactical personnel require a high level of cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular strength and endurance [9,10]. Poor performance in these areas increases injury risk and may lead to mission failure, loss of life, or a perpetrator evading capture [11,12]. Pope et al [13] and Jones et al [14]
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