Fitness and movement quality of emergency task force police officers: An age-grouped database with comparison to populations of emergency services personnel, athletes and the general public

The purpose of this study was to compare fitness, hip range of motion (ROM) and movement quality of an Emergency Task Force (ETF) police unit across age groups and with other populations. ETF had poorer hip ROM and back torso endurance compared to other cohorts which are variables linked with back disorders.Relevance to IndustryUnderstanding functional capacity assists Ergonomists in designing standards for occupations and worker groups. The fitness and movement competency variables documented here for an elite police tactical squad assist in designing training programs to meet job demands and avoid injury.

► No differences across age groups in any variable except the pull-up.
► ETF had poorer hip ROM and back torso endurance when compared to other cohorts.
► Height was negatively correlated with back torso endurance and hip range of motion.
► Weight was negatively correlated with torso endurance and movement quality.
► Given these variables are linked with injury, they may guide testing interventions.