Physical Fitness Control of Soldiers of the National Armed Forces. Summary of the Doctoral Thesis

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dc.contributor.advisorCiematnieks, Uģis
dc.contributor.advisorFernāte, Andra
dc.contributor.authorBlaus, Oskars
dc.date.accessioned2025-05-07T10:39:00Z
dc.date.available2025-05-07T10:39:00Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionThe Doctoral Thesis was developed at the Latvian Academy of Sport Education from 2020 until 2024. Defence of the Doctoral Thesis will take place at the closed session of the Promotion Council of Health Sciences on 6 May 2025 at 15.00 in the Hippocrates Lecture Theatre, 16 Dzirciema Street, Rīga Stradiņš University.en
dc.description.abstractThe current geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe makes it mandatory for every soldier to be combat-ready and thus physically prepared. The unit of the Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Land Forces of the National Armed Forces has never had special physical fitness and general physical fitness tests developed for it, which would take into account the specificity of the combat tasks and provisional load of the unit's soldiers, that would allow to assess the soldiers’ ability to perform their service duties and to predict the soldiers’ ability to perform the most important combat exercises, imitating one of the most characteristic combat exercises, such as moving the equipment, ammunition and machinery, passing through various obstacles, evacuating the casualties, changing the firing position, etc. The aim of the study was to create a GPF test based on the analysis of the interrelations between the SPF test control exercises and the GPF test control exercises, which focus on the physically demanding daily/service and training/combat tasks. The research was conducted in several phases from September 2020 to March 2024. Phase I of the Research: - Exploration and analysis of scientific research literature sources and documents. Phase II of the Research: - Development of a questionnaire for soldiers to identify physically demanding daily/service and training/combat tasks; - Surveying soldiers of the MIB LF NAF; - Surveying instructors/GP specialists of the MIB LF NAF units; - Compilation of questionnaire data, statistical processing, and analysis. Phase III of the Research: - Group interview (determination of the MIB LF SPF test). Phase IV of the Research: - Testing of MIB LF NAF soldiers with the SPF test; - Testing of MIB LF NAF soldiers with the NAF GPF test; - Testing of MIB LF NAF soldiers with the GPF test developed by the author and used by the British Armed Forces; - Compilation of PF test results, statistical processing, and analysis. Phase V of the Research: - Development of an experimental NAF GPF test and implementation of recommendations. In the study, 123 professional service soldiers from the MIB LF NAF participated in the survey, and 57 professional service soldiers from the MIB LF NAF participated in the physical fitness tests. Four field tests were used to test the soldiers in the study: one adapted special physical fitness test and three general physical fitness tests. The correlation and regression analysis of the SPF and GPF test control exercises was conducted to test the relationships between the variables – control exercises from the British Armed Forces SPF test and control exercises from the GPF test. By implementing the set work tasks and based on the results obtained, the objective of the work was achieved – the creation, approval, and development of recommendations for the implementation of a scientifically grounded MIB LF NAF SPF and GPF test based on the physically demanding daily/service and training/combat tasks. The hypothesis of the study was confirmed – if the general physical fitness assessment test for soldiers includes control exercises focused on endurance, strength, speed, agility, and their forms of manifestation, then the results will determine the outcomes of the special physical fitness assessment test control exercises relevant to the unit’s specific physically demanding daily and combat tasks. This is evidenced by the test results obtained in the study, which indicate the interrelations between the SPF control exercises, based on the physically demanding daily and combat tasks relevant to the unit's specifics, and the GPF control exercises focused on physical attributes – endurance, strength, speed, agility, and their forms, through performing regression and correlation analysis. The created GPF test control exercises – Beep Test (R = 0.686; p < 0.05), the Illinois Agility Test (R = 0.562; p < 0.05), pull-ups for 4 seconds (R = 0.440; p < 0.05), and standing long jump (R = 0.443; p < 0.05) – show interrelations with one of the five SPF test control exercises identified by the MIB LF NAF – marching, fire & movement, casualty evacuation, simulated stretcher carrying, and repeated lifting and carrying. The GPF control exercise “Deadlift” was included as a whole based on the results of studies conducted by other authors. Based on the results obtained, the GPF test was developed, consisting of the following control exercises to be performed in a specific order: 1) Control exercise – Standing Long Jump; 2) Control exercise – Deadlift; 3) Control exercise – Illinois Agility Test; 4) Control exercise – Pull-ups for 4 seconds; 5) Control exercise – Beep Test.en
dc.formatElectronic
dc.identifier.citationBlaus, O. 2025. Physical Fitness Control of Soldiers of the National Armed Forces: Summary of the Doctoral Thesis: Sub-Sector – Sports Pedagogy. Rīga: Rīga Stradiņš University. https://doi.org/10.25143/prom-rsu_2025-09_dtsen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.25143/prom-rsu_2025-09_dts
dc.identifier.other1–96
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.rsu.lv/handle/123456789/431539
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRīga Stradiņš Universityen
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess-
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectSummary of the Doctoral Thesisen
dc.subjectmilitary serviceen
dc.subjectsoldiersen
dc.subjecttestingen
dc.subjectgeneral physical fitnessen
dc.subjectspecial physical fitnessen
dc.subject.other3.3. Health Sciences; Sub-Sector – Sports Pedagogyen
dc.titlePhysical Fitness Control of Soldiers of the National Armed Forces. Summary of the Doctoral Thesisen
dc.title.alternativeNacionālo bruņoto spēku karavīru fiziskās sagatavotības kontrole. Promocijas darba kopsavilkumslv_LV
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/other

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