OUTCOMES OF POLICE FITNESS TEST RESEARCH:

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1 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 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND WORKPLACE FITNESS UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER

2 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.

3 BACKGROUND OVERVIEW Recruit Entry Fitness Tests s: 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

4 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 VO 2 Max was not assessed therefore 15m MSFT not used for prediction of VO 2 Max (as is 20m) Roehampton Study (2003) with HM Prison Service validated 15m MSFT as a predictor of VO 2 Max.. e.g. 15m MSFT Level 5/4 = 35mlsO 2 /kg/min Time to reach Level 5/4 = 3min 40secs; 35 Shuttles

5 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 mlso 2 /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.

6 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.

7 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.

8 RESULTS SINCE TESTS MADE COMPULSORY IN 2014 June ,000 police fitness tests, overall pass rate of 97% (99% male, 92% female officers passed). 37 forces. August ,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.

9 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.

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

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

12 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: 35mlsO 2 /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 35-41mlsO 2 /kg/min Chester Treadmill Police Run Test (CTPRT) for 2 Specialist Firearms Posts (ARV & DIAFO) requiring 46 & 51mlsO 2 /kg/min University of Chester commissioned by Cumbria Constabulary to undertake reliability & validity study

13 CTPWT Protocol and Oxygen Cost at each Level Treadmill Speed: 6.0km/hr (Sykes 2015)

14 CTPWT TARGET TIME FOR PERSONAL SAFETY TRAINING (PST) * Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value to attain the target time

15 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

16 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

17 CTPRT TREADMILL PROTOCOL AND OXYGEN COST AT EACH LEVEL Treadmill Speed 10.4km/hr (Sykes 2015)

18 CTPRT TREADMILL PROTOCOL AND OXYGEN COST AT EACH LEVEL Treadmill Speed 10.4km/hr (Sykes 2015)

19 BORG RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION CHART End point

20 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 VO 2 measured.

21 Validation of Chester Treadmill POLICE WALK & RUN Tests 78 police officers 60 males, 18 females; wide range ranks & fitness mean age: 42 ± 7 years; BMI: 26.1 ± 3.5.

22 RELIABILITY & VALIDITY of CTPWT AND CTPRT *denotes significant difference from predicted p <.05

23 RELIABILITY & VALIDITY of CTPWT AND CTPRT *denotes significant difference from predicted p <.05

24 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)

25 CARDIO-METABOLIC ANALYSIS OF 15m SHUTTLE RUN University of Chester

26 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 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND WORKPLACE FITNESS UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER Questions?

27 CTPWT TARGET TIMES FOR SPECIALIST POSTS (Sykes 2015) * Aerobic Capacity must be at least this value to attain the target time