Correlations between control exercises of combat fitness test and control exercises of physical conditioning

Abstract

As the military environment is characterized by high levels of physical activity, physical activity is an important component of military action. A soldier with good overall fitness is one of the guarantees that in combat and peace conditions he or she will be able to perform his/her duties and help others. It is important to determine the best control exercises, which optimally reflect a soldier’s physical conditioning. Every army has tests developed according to the policy of the country where these tests are applied. However, as the physical conditioning of residents decreases, so does the physical conditioning of potential soldiers, and physical conditioning tests are to be periodically updated and compared to the tests current in other countries. The aim of this study is to analyse the correlation of physical conditioning control exercises with combat fitness test control exercises. The methods include three different physical conditioning tests, the National Armed Forces physical conditioning test, the test put together by the study authors, the Great Britain Armed Forces physical conditioning test and the combat fitness test developed by the British Armed Forces. The accumulated data was process to gain mutual correlations. Results and conclusions: medium close correlations were discovered, particularly between the Great Britain Army Force evaluation test and the cumulative physical conditioning test developed by the study authors, which confirms the initial hypothesis that the soldiers of each country differ in physical conditioning, and, in order to determine a soldier’s preparedness, a separate physical conditioning test is to be designed for each group of soldiers following their specification.