Effects of Specialized Physical Education and Additional Aerobic Training on Aerobic Endurance of Police Students

Abstract

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate if the SPE classes were sufficient to improve the police students’ aerobic endurance over the period of 12 weeks; and to investigate if two additional aerobic trainings per week may have an effect on the students’ aerobic endurance. Materials and Methods. An initial and final estimated maximal oxygen consumption of 233 (♀87 and ♂146) police students were assessed at the begging and after 12 weeks of training. All participants were performing SPE classes as part of the curriculum, while experimental groups (♀39 and ♂81) conducted two additional trainings for aerobic endurance. A repeated-measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the effects of the treatments and the differences between the treatments. Results. The SPE with two additional aerobic endurance trainings significantly improved students’ aerobic endurance in both sexes (14 %, p < 0.01). Two aerobic trainings alone had large effects on aerobic endurance female (11.66 %, p < 0.01) and male (12.15 %, p < 0.01) police students. Conclusions. Relatively simple aerobic training, applied two times per week, could provide meaningful changes in aerobic endurance. Practitioners could use the period while police students are at the university to educate them on how to organize and conduct basic phy­sical training on their own.

Moving Past the One-Size-Fits-All Education-Training Model of Police Academies to the Self-Prescribed Individualized Exercise Prescription Model

“…Both approaches are command-based, meaning that cadets do what, how and how much they are told to do. Although this is shown to improve cadets’ fitness [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ], it is less likely to provide a long-term retention of cadets (later officers) in regular physical activity (PA) or exercise. Studies on police cadets and officers showed a reduction in PA and fitness with the time spent in service [ 48 , 49 ].…”

“…As a result, during their fourth year, cadets utilize the previously obtained knowledge by applying different training methods on their own. In more detail, curricula include three training classes mostly based on self-defense and use of force, while strength and conditioning take a small portion of curricula and includes teaching on basic methods of physical preparation [ 44 , 50 ]. In their junior year, cadets prescribe their own individualized exercise training program.…”

Perceived and Measured Physical Fitness of Police Students

“…Physical fitness has been defined as the ability to complete daily activities without undue fatigue and with enough energy left for pursuing leisure activities [ 1 ]. The measurement of physical fitness is an important part of the recruitment and training process of police officers because the job ranges from physically non-demanding (i.e., administrative work) to highly demanding (i.e., chasing, arresting the belligerent or controlling a riot) [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Therefore, next to health-related physical fitness, performance-related physical fitness is also required in certain police occupations [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…However, once police trainees or students enter the police force, their physical fitness typically decreases while their body fat increases as they advance in their career, predominantly due to a lack of planned physical activity and poor nutrition [ 13 , 14 ]. Although socioeconomic, demographic, environmental and cultural factors could have an effect on physical fitness and body composition [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], the structure and the focus of strength and conditioning programs may be of importance as well [ 3 , 10 , 12 ].…”

“…This could be due to a training schedule that is very dense while at the academy and adding lectures about the basics of implementation of strength and conditioning may pose additional load to the training process. However, strength and conditioning specialists could implement some aspects of teaching police students on the basics of strength and conditioning (i.e., how to apply the prescribed program) through classes already present in the schedule [ 3 ]. A convenient way to perform the prescribed programs could be by following the ones written for a certain fitness level that can be assessed by physical test battery or by well-established perceived physical fitness.…”