Development of the fitness recruitment test/military fitness test
In 2006, the Swiss Armed forces introduced a new fitness test for the recruitment of conscripts. This test was developed at the In 2006, the Swiss Army introduced a new fitness test for the recruitment of conscripts. This test was developed at the Swiss Federal Office of Sport in Magglingen and consists of five sub-disciplines: standing long jump, medicine ball kick, one-leg stand, global trunk strength test and progressive endurance run. This fitness test is valid, reliable and can be carried out in large groups with little effort. The global trunk strength test and progressive endurance run are particularly suitable for predicting overload complaints. However, different test disciplines are meaningful depending on the type of troop. For this reason, the next step was to set sensible limits for the individual test disciplines, which the conscripts had to achieve in order to be assigned to a specific troop category. The limits were set in such a way that the conscripts are exposed to a low risk of injury during their military service.
Studie PADIS – Physical Activities and Demands in Swiss Soldiers
The Physical Activities and Demands in Swiss Soldiers (PADIS) study was initiated at almost the same time as the development of the new fitness test. The aim of this study was to precisely record the task-specific physical demands of different troops (rescue soldiers, grenadiers, security soldiers, reconnaissance soldiers, electronic warfare soldiers, infantrymen) and to correlate these with the individual physical performance on the one hand and the soldiers' complaints of overload on the other. The results of the PADIS study showed that the physical strain in the troops analysed decreased significantly on average from the second to the eighth week of recruit school. The daily distances covered on foot were on average higher than those of comparable civilian populations, while the daily energy consumption was in the range of the values of military organisations of other nations and professional athletes. However, the number of complaints of overexertion was higher than the international average. It also turned out that the then regulated 180 minutes of sport per week were nowhere near being achieved. An additional 40 minutes of sport per week improved the physical fitness of the recruits, particularly in the disciplines of core strength and balance, more than in a control group.
PROGRESS study - Interventions in sport and everyday military life
As a consequence of the results of the PADIS study, the PROGRESS study was conducted. The aim was to counteract the degressive progression of physical stress in the first eight weeks of recruit school by means of an intervention in sport and/or everyday military life. In addition, it was investigated whether this could reduce the risk of injury and increase the physical and mental performance and morale of the troops. The intervention focussed on the quantity and quality of sports lessons (using trained sports instructors and conducting at least two training sessions per week) and on progressively increasing the distances covered on foot in the first five weeks of recruit school. The individual interventions and especially the combination of both interventions led to fewer overuse injuries and fewer premature withdrawals. The physical education intervention enabled recruits in all performance groups to improve their physical fitness. Furthermore, the interventions and leadership style examined had an indirect influence on military performance, with physical fitness and motivation proving to be significant, positive influencing factors. In the context of the interventions, the effect of certain psychological factors was also analysed. The recruits in the sports intervention showed positive effects such as reduced feelings of stress, increased motivation and commitment to the army. Ultimately, it was found that a transformational or transactional leadership style has a positive effect on recruits' trust in their superiors.
Studie SAFT – Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training
Following the PROGRESS study and due to the further development of the armed forces (2018), the Sports Competence Center of the military was commissioned to develop a new sports concept. In addition to specific, progressively increasing sports lessons, this also includes an extra hour of sport per week, totalling 240 minutes. The Swiss Army Physical Fitness Training (SAFT) study tested the feasibility and effectiveness of the new sports concept in a pilot programme. In contrast to the PROGRESS study, the sports lessons were now taught by instructed members of the armed forces. The results were comparable with the previous study and showed increases in physical fitness in the first ten weeks of recruit training, as well as individual improvements in all strength groups, a reduction in injuries during sports lessons and a reduction in medical withdrawals. Increased resilience (psychological resistance) and military performance were also observed. For the first time, a positive influence of the sports intervention during recruit school on exercise and health behaviour (more physical activity and less cigarette consumption) after recruit school was also demonstrated. The analyses also showed that it is largely possible to implement the new sports concept, but that it represents a major challenge, particularly during the training phase.