Impact of Participating in an Army ROTC Program on Physical Fitness of Cadets

An important role of the Army ROTC Program is to prepare cadets for the physical demands of a military career. Cadets participate in physical training 3 days per week as part of their military science curriculum. Limited research has been conducted on the fitness level of ROTC cadets. The purpose of this study was determine the impact of participating in one year of Army ROTC training on the physical fitness of ROTC cadets. Twenty-six cadets (20 men and 6 women) performed military physical fitness (APFT) assessments (2-mile run, 2-minute max push-ups and sit-ups) and clinical assessments of fitness (Bruce protocol VO₂max, underwater weighing, 1-RM, and 70% of 1-RM bench press tests) during the beginning of the fall semester and again at the end of the spring semester during an academic year. The male (22.2 ± 6.8 yrs; Ht: 177.7 ± 7.3 cm; Wt: 77.5 ± 7.1 kg) and female (20.3 ± 1.2 yrs; Ht: 161.8 ± 7.7 cm; Wt: 59.6 ± 3.2 kg) participants demonstrated statistically significant improvement (p < .05) for VO₂max (+8.6%), sit-ups (+8.4%), 1-RM bench press (+6.9%), and push ups (+15.7%). No significant changes were registered for the 2-mile run, percent fat, or 70% of 1-RM bench press. The posttest scores for the male cadets were 54.3 ± 5.6 ml ^. kg^{-1 .} min^-1 for VO₂max, 14.1 ± 4.0 percent fat, 91.8 ± 20.4 kg 1-RM bench press, 15.3 ± 2.8 reps at 70% of 1-RM, 2-mile run of 13.76 ± 1.2 minutes, 80.1 ± 9.0 sit-ups and 69.1 ± 12.3 push ups. The posttest scores for the female cadets were 43.0 ± 3.8 ml ^. kg^{-1 .} min^-1 for VO₂ max; 24.2 ± 3.1 percent fat, 37.5 ± 17.8 kg 1-RM bench press, 16.5 ± 3.1 reps at 70% of 1-RM, 2-mile run of 17.0 ± 1.5 minutes, 74.7 ± 12.9 sit ups and 41.5 ± 12.7 push ups. The mean scores were above the 83rd percentile on all APFT items and average (percent fat) to above average (VO2max and bench press scores) when compared to peer age and gender corrected norms. Participation in an Army ROTC program results in an improvement in physical fitness. Additionally, the cadets possess above average levels of fitness.
Keyword(s): exercise/fitness