Firefit Annual Conference - 13th and 14th Oct

2016

OUTCOMES OF POLICE FITNESS TEST

RESEARCH:

THE CHESTER TREADMILL POLICE FITNESS TESTS

PROF KEVIN SYKES

EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF
O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D W O R K P L A C E
FITNESS
UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER
WINSOR REPORT 2011 (POLICE REMUNERATION & CONDITIONS)

Recommendation 33
A fitness test should be introduced in September 2013 for all
police officers and staff in England and Wales required to
undertake personal safety training.
Participants should be required to attain level 5:4 on a 15-metre
shuttle run.
From September 2014, those who fail the test three times should
be subject to the appropriate disciplinary procedures.
BACKGROUND OVERVIEW

Recruit Entry Fitness Tests……..

1980s: 1.5m run (12mins) >>>>>> 20m MSFT Bleep test (9:6)
Press Ups & Sit Ups/min, Body Fat%, Sit & Reach, Grip Strength,
Standing Long Jump
Results Score from computer programme
1990s : Loughborough University : 15mMSFT (Level 8/1), Press Ups,
Speed & Agility, Grip Strength
2004: 15m MSFT reduced to Level 5/4, Push and Pull

 No obligation for Officers to undertake Fitness Training outside of initial 2

year probationary period unless moving to a Specialist post
 Over 40s medicals not compulsory in many Forces – but available on a
voluntary basis
 Specialist Post Fitness Tests (e.g. Firearms) compulsory since pre-1980s
15m MSFT
• Developed by Loughborough University (1995) for the Met Police
Service - accommodated in gyms shorter than 20m.
• Designed that running speed at each level is same as 20m test
• Officers perform same number of turns per level as duration
reduced from 1min to 45secs
• 15m MSFT shown to be a good predictor of endurance fitness
• Directly measured VO2Max was not assessed therefore 15m
MSFT not used for prediction of VO2Max (as is 20m)
• Roehampton Study (2003) with HM Prison Service validated 15m
MSFT as a predictor of VO2Max…..
e.g. 15m MSFT Level 5/4 = 35mlsO2/kg/min
• Time to reach Level 5/4 = 3min 40secs; 35 Shuttles
WHY 5/4 FOR RECRUIT ENTRY?

Brewer (2004): ‘Research Into Fitness For The Police Service’…..

• Aerobic responses to Personal Safety Training v 15m MSFT
(HR&LA)
• Regardless of ethnicity, gender, or age, 15m MSFT consistently
elicited a physiological load that was either equal to or greater
than the load experienced during PST.
• Recommended that Level 5/4 15m MSFT (35 mlsO2/kg/min).
• ‘If this were to be decreased, it would fall below the
recommended threshold needed to reduce the risk of potentially
life-threatening cardio-vascular illnesses’.
WINSOR REPORT
Recommendation 33
A fitness test should be introduced in September 2013 for all police officers
and staff in England and Wales required to undertake Personal Safety
Training.
Participants should be required to attain level 5:4 on a 15-metre shuttle run.
From September 2014, those who fail the test three times should be subject
to the appropriate disciplinary procedures.

 In September 2014 College of Policing issued guidance to all

Forces in E&W for the administration of the PST-JRFT, designed to
match the aerobic demands of Personal Safety Training .
ALTERNATIVE TEST
College of Policing (Sept 2014):
Forces should offer an alternative test based on medical grounds
following a decision from Occupational Health for those deemed
unsuited to the twists, turns, sharp acceleration/deceleration of
15m shuttle running
Chester Treadmill Walk Test (adapted to 9mins) recommended
Several Forces using CTWT@9min & Chester Step Test (e.g. West Mids)
However, these tests not fully validated as accurate alternative tests to
the 15m MSFT – and results could be challenged…….
……Therefore need for a reliable and valid alternative aerobic fitness
test.
RESULTS SINCE TESTS MADE COMPULSORY IN 2014
June 2014
​30,000 police fitness tests, overall pass rate of 97% (99% male,
92% female officers passed). 37 forces.
August 2015
93,956 tests. All 43 police forces in England & Wales, 98% overall
pass rate
98.9% males, 95.4% females passed. 1,863 failures (757 tests
failed by men,1,059 by women)
College of Policing recommended officers given chance to retake
test twice.
CoP unaware of anyone being sacked for failing the tests; individual
forces could decide how to deal with officers who had failed.
 SPECIALIST POSTS

January 2012:
• Chief Constables’ Council supported new job-related fitness tests
(JRFTs) for specialist posts recommended by the Police Advisory
Board of England and Wales & Fitness Testing Working Group.
• The tests and standards for the 13 specialist posts were based
on physiological data from officers undertaking role-based
training exercises (Brewer 2010).
• 15m MSFT specific performance levels to be achieved that
closely matched the job-related physiological responses.
 AEROBIC FITNESS STANDARDS FOR SPECIALIST POSTS (Brewer 2010)

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value in order to attain the Recommended Standard
 AEROBIC FITNESS STANDARDS FOR SPECIALIST POSTS (Brewer 2010)

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value in order to attain the Recommended Standard
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE TEST

2015:
• KS commissioned by Cumbria Constabulary to adapt CTWT as
an alternative test for PST-JRFT (15m MSFT Level 5/4:
35mlsO2/kg/min)
• Commission extended to develop an alternative treadmill test for
the 13 Specialist Posts
• Chester Treadmill Police Walk Test (CTPWT) for 11 Specialist
Posts requiring 35-41mlsO2/kg/min
• Chester Treadmill Police Run Test (CTPRT) for 2 Specialist
Firearms Posts (ARV & DIAFO) requiring 46 & 51mlsO2/kg/min
• University of Chester commissioned by Cumbria Constabulary to
undertake reliability & validity study
CTPWT Protocol and Oxygen Cost at each Level
Treadmill Speed: 6.0km/hr

(Sykes 2015)
 CTPWT TARGET TIME FOR PERSONAL SAFETY TRAINING (PST)

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value to attain the target time
 CTPWT TARGET TIMES & 15MSFT SHUTTLE LEVELS FOR SPECIALISTS POSTS

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value in order to attain the CTWTP target time and/or 15m
Shuttle Run Level
 CTPWT TARGET TIMES & 15MSFT SHUTTLE LEVELS FOR SPECIALISTS POSTS

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value in order to attain the CTWTP target time and/or 15m
Shuttle Run Level
CTPRT TREADMILL PROTOCOL AND OXYGEN COST AT EACH LEVEL

Treadmill Speed 10.4km/hr

(Sykes 2015)
CTPRT TREADMILL PROTOCOL AND OXYGEN COST AT EACH LEVEL

Treadmill Speed 10.4km/hr

(Sykes 2015)
BORG RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION CHART

End point
CHESTER TREADMILL POLICE TESTS AS ALTERNATIVES TO 15M SHUTTLE RUNNING
A Research Report
Dr Mike Morris PhD, Elizabeth Morris MSc, Professor Kevin Sykes PhD

• 78 UK Police officers (60 males, 18 females) volunteered to take part in the study
(age: 42 ± 7 years; BMI: 26.1 ± 3.5
• Familiar with treadmill walking and/or running
• Attended University of Chester on 2 separate occasions
• Blood pressure, resting heart rate, weight/height recorded.
• Participants did CTPWT or CTPRT according to their self-reported performance of
the 15m MSFT, (i.e. 5:4-7:6 Walk Test), 9:4-10:5 Run Test)
• Minimum 24 hours between testing days to allow recovery time and within 2
weeks to limit the effect of time or changes to fitness.
• During exercise, heart rate, RPE and VO2 measured.
 Validation of Chester Treadmill POLICE WALK & RUN Tests

60 males, 18 females; wide range ranks & fitness

78 police officers mean age: 42 ± 7 years; BMI: 26.1 ± 3.5.
RELIABILITY & VALIDITY of CTPWT AND CTPRT

*denotes significant difference from predicted p < .05

RELIABILITY & VALIDITY of CTPWT AND CTPRT

*denotes significant difference from predicted p < .05

SUMMARY

Chester Treadmill Police Walk Test

CTPWT is a valid and reliable alternative test to 15mMSFT to ensure
officers have achieved the minimum aerobic capacity standard
required for operational duties . Shuttle Level 5:4 (35mls) -7;6
(41mls) (AFO)

Chester Treadmill Police Run Test

CTPRT is a valid and reliable alternative test to 15mMSFT to ensure
ARV and DIAFO officers have achieved the minimum aerobic
capacity standard required for operational duties.
ARV (Level 9:6. 46mls), DIAFO (i.e. Level 10:5. 51mls)
CARDIO-METABOLIC ANALYSIS OF 15m SHUTTLE RUN

University of Chester
 Firefit Annual Conference - 13th and 14th Oct
2016

OUTCOMES OF POLICE FITNESS TEST

RESEARCH:

THE CHESTER TREADMILL POLICE FITNESS TESTS

PROF KEVIN SYKES

EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF
O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D W O R K P L A C E
FITNESS
UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER
Questions ?
 CTPWT TARGET TIMES FOR SPECIALIST POSTS (Sykes 2015)

* Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value to attain the target time