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. 2022 Dec 16;19(24):16948.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416948.

Physical Performance of Brazilian Military Policemen: A Longitudinal Analysis by Occupational Specialties

Luiz Rezende  1 , Rodolfo A Dellagrana  1   2 , Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Oliveira-Santos  3 , Arthur Duarte Fantesia Costa Cruz  4 , Maycon Felipe da Silva Mota  1 , Christianne F Coelho-Ravagnani  1
Affiliations

Physical Performance of Brazilian Military Policemen: A Longitudinal Analysis by Occupational Specialties

Luiz Rezende et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Maintenance of good levels of physical fitness is essential during occupational tasks for the general health of the military police. However, no studies have evaluated longitudinal changes in the physical fitness of Brazilian military police officers according to their specialties. Thus, the objective of the current study was to analyze the changes in the physical fitness of military police officers according to their specialty, over a period of five years. Retrospective data (2015-2019) from 290 police officers were analyzed, including age and physical fitness tests (12-min run test, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups on the bar). The sample was divided into four groups (Specialized; Border; Urban; and Environmental). ANCOVA was used to describe differences in physical fitness components between groups of police officers after adjusting for age. Initial fitness was higher among police officers in the Specialized group (i.e., those with greater physical demands). During the five-year follow-up period, there was an age-related decrease in physical capacity for all groups, regardless of specialty. However, Urban police showed improvement in running and sit-up tests (p < 0.05) over time. Changes in physical capacity during follow-up differed depending on the physical component analyzed and the occupational specialty.

Keywords: acting; aerobic conditioning; localized muscle strength; military police; occupational health; physical activity; physical assessment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age distribution of police officers according to specialties.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Behavior of the performance of police officers in different specialties in the 12-min run test throughout the follow-up. (A): Changes in distances covered over 5 years according to police specialties; (B): Distance traveled by police in relation to age; (C): Comparison of distances covered between police specialties at baseline (gray color indicates significant difference between the respective groups).
Figure 3
Figure 3
VO2max behavior of police officers over the years. (A): Changes in VO2max performance over 5 years according to police specialties; (B): VO2max performance achieved by police officers in relation to age; (C): Comparison of VO2max achieved between police specialties at baseline (gray color indicates significant difference between the respective groups).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Performance behavior of police officers—Push-ups. (A): Change in maximal floor push-up repetition performance over 5 years by police specialties; (B): Performance in maximal push-up repetitions by police officers in relation to age; (C): Comparison of test performance between police specialties at baseline (gray color indicates significant difference between respective groups).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Performance behavior of police officers—Pull-ups. (A): Change in performance of maximum repetitions of pull-ups on the bar over 5 years according to police specialties; (B): Performance in maximum repetitions of pull-ups on the bar by police officers in relation to age; (C): Comparison of performance on the push-up test between police specialties at baseline (gray color indicates significant difference between the respective groups).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Performance behavior of police officers—Sit-ups Test. (A): Change in performance of maximum repetitions of sit-ups over 5 years according to police specialties; (B): Performance in maximum repetitions of sit-ups by police officers in relation to age; (C): Comparison of sit-up test performance between police specialties at baseline (gray color indicates significant difference between respective groups).
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