Profiling the physical demands of mounted police during a major event

Aim: To profile the physical demands of a mounted police unit during a 10-hour shift.Design: Prospective cohort study.Method: Data were collected from 8 mounted police officers (males=2) during 10-hour shift at Mardi Gras (reportedly one of the most physically demanding shifts), in full patrol gear, weighing on average, 6.5kg. At the beginning of their shift, officers were fitted with Polar Team Pro units to monitor heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) as well as components of distance traversed and speed. Ethics approval was provided by the Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee #BS02126.Results: The officers’ travelled on average 17.6±2.4km on horseback, with average speeds of 1.8±0.3km/h and mean maximum speed of 20.1±11.6km/h. There were on average 4.8±8.0 moments of accelerations of more than 2.8m/s2 and 3.8±6.8 decelerations of more than -3.0m/s2. Throughout the shift, the mean HR was 96.3±11.7bpm and HRmax 161.9±11.7bpm. Officers spent on average 26.9±39.3min at HR70-80%,9.2+9.0min at HR80-90%, and 2.5±2.7min at HR90-100%. The average HRV (RMSSD) was 20.0±5.9ms, with a range of 9-30ms.Conclusion: The profile of this 10-hour shift highlighted the unique physical demands of mounted police. Time, distance, and speed on horseback are noteworthy, as well as number of accelerations and decelerations

Effectiveness of physical conditioning practices for female military personnel

Aim: to investigate the most effective physical conditioning practices for female military personnel.Design: Systematic review.Method: Following the PRISMA guidelines and protocol registered with OSF, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and reference lists of included studies were searched using the themes ‘female’, ‘military’ and ‘conditioning’. Dedicated inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Critical appraisal and data extraction were performed independently by two authors.Results: Seven of 6,317 citations were included in the study. The mean quality score of the studies was considered ‘good’ (64.4±16.4%). All included studies incorporated strength and aerobic endurance training as a training paradigm; 71% included power specific training; and 43% included occupational specific task training. Improvements in fitness included 50% increase of 1-RM strength, 18.4% increase in VO2max and 14.1% decrease in pack march time.Conclusion: The volume of evidence suggests that several training modalities, including strength, power, and aerobic endurance, can optimise both training adaptations and occupational performance for female soldiers. This review provides summary evidence to assist in informing optimal training practices and guide future direction of research

Psychological, physical, and heat stress indicators prior to and after a 15-minute structural firefighting task

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Firefighters must endure extreme environments. Such exposure increases their body temperature, which can induce fatigue, reduce motivation, and impair their decision-making. This study set out to investigate the relationship between these factors. Nine firefighters were required to complete simulated firefighting tasks in a controlled structural fire for 15 min. Logical reasoning, speed and accuracy, memory recall, general motivation and fatigue, and physical and mental effort were recorded prior to, immediately after, and 20 min after the simulation. Results of this study identified that alongside a significant increase in firefighter tympanic membrane temperature post-task; (1) body weight loss was poorly correlated with post-task motivation and fatigue scores; (2) pre-task logical reasoning scores were predictive of change in tympanic membrane temperature. ABSTRACT: Firefighters work in strenuous conditions for prolonged periods wearing up to 20 kg of personal protective equipment. This often contributes to significant heat and cardiovascular strain. This study examined the relationships between psychological and physical measures taken prior to undertaking a 15 min firefighting task, and the occurrence of heat stress and high levels of fatigue following the task. Nine qualified firefighters completed a 15 min “live burn” scenario designed to mimic a fire started by a two-seater couch in a lounge room and completed simulated tasks throughout the duration. Logical reasoning, speed and accuracy, general motivation and fatigue, and physical and mental effort were recorded pre-scenario, and at 0- and 20-min post-scenario. General motivation and fatigue scores at 0- and 20-min post-scenario were highly correlated with each other (r(s) = 0.90; p = 0.001). The general motivation and fatigue scores, at 0- and 20-min post-scenario, were also strongly related to pre-task logic/reasoning test scores (Post 0 r(s) = −0.77, p = 0.016; Post 20 r(s) = −0.87, p = 0.002). Firefighters with lower logical reasoning and speed and accuracy scores were more susceptible to fatigue and impaired cognition when exposed to rises in core temperature and heat stress

The impact of prior physical conditioning in initial recruit training success: A systematic review

Aim: To determine whether recruits who underwent a physical conditioning program prior to initial tactical training had increased rates of success.Design: Systematic ReviewMethod: A systematic search, following the PRISMA protocol and registered in the Open Science Framework, was conducted to identify relevant studies. Keywords, derived from three themes (physical conditioning, tactical, and recruits), were employed in the search of database CINAHL, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus, and Web of Science. Studies were screened against inclusion/exclusion criteria with data extracted and analyzed. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools were used to assess methodological quality of included studies by two authors independently with a Kappa analysis to determine inter-rater agreement.Results: Of 14,411 identified articles, 13 studies informed the review. The mean quality of studies was considered ‘good’ with a Kappa of 0.81 between raters. Seven studies identified that an increase in physical fitness, through use of preconditioning programs, resulted in lower rates of injury. Three studies attributed increased basic training pass rates to physical conditioning programs. However, three studies failed to find a change in attrition rates following the programs.Conclusion: The volume of evidence suggests that programs aimed at increasing muscular conditioning and aerobic endurance prior to tactical training would result in fewer injuries and increased pass rates although reductions in absolute attrition may not change.Key Practice Points:• Recruits are less likely to be injured if they are fitter and / or have completed additional training prior to completing training for a tactical occupation

Impact of boots on task performance in tactical personnel: a systematic review

To identify and critically analyse articles investigating boots and their influence on task performance within a tactical population.Design: Systematic ReviewMethod: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and was conducted by two independent reviewers. The methodology and search strategies were detailed in a protocol published in advance. A comprehensive search of six databases was performed.Eligible articles were critically appraised, and a narrative synthesis was performed.Results: Two articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The included studies were considered of good methodological quality and reported on firefighters. One of the investigations reported that rubber boots were heavier and significantly increased the chances of hazardous slips compared to leather boots. Similarly, in the second study, rubber boots had greater weight than leather ones, and the authors found a significant negative correlation between weight and gait performance.Conclusion: In a firefighting population, both weight and material used in boots should be considered, as rubber boots and heavyweight material negatively impact gait parameters and, consequently, task performance. However, the results of this review should be interpreted with caution.</div

Sex-specific differences in the impact of heavier body armour worn by law enforcement officers completing occupational tasks: a pilot study

Aim: to assess sex-specific impacts of heavier body armour in law enforcement officers completing occupational tasks.Design: A randomized counter-balanced study.Method: Ten qualified police officers of which six were female (mean height = 167.97 ± 3.67 cm, mean mass= 65.30 ± 10.57 kg) and four were male (mean height = 82.15 ± 6.98 cm, mean weight = 85.55 ± 9.96 kg) completed a functional movement screen for mobility and three occupational tasks wearing a law enforcement (2.1 kg) or military (6.4 kg) body armour system. Following paired samples t-tests, effect sizes(d) were calculated for the between-body armour type comparisons. Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee provided ethics approval (RO15803).Results: When military body armour was worn, female officers experienced a greater impact on their car exit and victim drag (d = 0.37, 0.02 respectively) when compared to males (d = 0.12, -0.41 respectively).Alternatively, male officers experienced a greater impact on their mobility and agility (d = -1.29, 0.57 respectively) when compared to females (d = -0.98, 0.31 respectively).Conclusion: Wearing heavier body armour had a greater effect on female officers in the car exit and victim drag measures and on male officers in the functional movement screen and agility measures. The impacts of wearing heavier body armour should not be considered the same between the sexes.Key Practice Points:• Heavy body armour systems may impede the sexes differently warranting consideration when rehabilitating and reconditioning police officers to return-to-work following injury