Impact of body weight on performance of a weight-supported motor fitness test in men

The impact of body weight on test scores is a common issue in applied measurement. Dimensional analysis suggests that heavier participants are disadvantaged in weight-supported tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of body weight on performance scores for a military obstacle course. Three cohorts of male participants completed the Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT). In cohort 1 (N = 2,191), height and weight were measured. In cohort 2 (N = 134), skinfold measurements were also performed. In cohort 3 (N = 44), all aforementioned measurements were performed, as well as upper- and lower-body tests for aerobic power, anaerobic power, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. The R2 between IOCT scores and body weight was 0.06 and that between IOCT scores and percentage of body fat was 0.08. All cohort analyses suggested that, for male subjects, body weight had only a small impact on the performance score distribution and the IOCT is fit for purpose as a fair repeatable system for assessment of physical performance.