Development of Minimum Physical Fitness Standards for the Canadian Armed Forces. Phase 3

This study was the third phase of a project to assist in the development of a set of minimum physical fitness standards which would be commensurate with performance of common military tasks. The specific purpose of this phase was to validate the minimum physical fitness standards for younger women and older men and to develop a standard for older women. In addition a sub-study was to examine the importance of the restriction of older subjects to 90 of their maximal capacity. With the permission of the CF, the common tasks were modified substantially in order to create one person simulated tasks that were reliable. The tasks performed were operationally defined as land evacuation, sea evacuation, low-high crawl, entrenchment dig and sand bag carry. The physical fitness tests selected for comparison included the EXPRES test battery of sit-ups, push-ups, maximum grip strength and predictive oxygen consumption as well as laboratory measures of the incremental lifting machine test, flexed arm hang and endurance grip. The study was conducted at Queens University with 59 younger women, 28 older women and 62 older men tested over a three week period. Subjects were selected on the basis of oxygen consumption values from EXPRES such that there was an equal number selected from each quartile of aerobic fitness.