Physical Readiness Training: A Meta-Analysis

Distributed operations accentuate the need for physical fitness in military personnel. Traditional training practices may not be aligned with the fitness requirements of DO combat. Physical readiness training (PRT) is a conceptual approach to address this problem. PRT programs are designed to develop the required fitness gains while minimizing injuries rates. This meta-analysis of available PRT studies (k = 3) indicated that (a) Fitness gains in the PRT program were equal to the gains in traditional fitness programs, and (b) the injury rate (i.e., hazard ratio) for the traditional fitness program was 42% higher for overuse injuries and 24% higher for traumatic injuries. The studies took place in highly structured training settings, with push-ups, sit-ups, and 2-mi run times as fitness measures. The encouraging initial results support applying PRT principles in entry-level training. The PRT principles logically apply to physical training in other settings, but the generality of the effects needs to be confirmed. Also, some of the physical capabilities targeted in the PRT approach have not been measured in past studies, so PRT fitness effects may be underestimated. Work Unit no. 60704. Sponsored in part by Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, and Navy Medicine Support Command, Jacksonville, FL. The original document contains color images.