Changes in physical performance in royal navy recruits during initial training and associations with royal navy task performance

Background: The Royal Navy (RN) have recently introduced a new Physical Employment Standard (PES) based upon the most critical and physically demanding seafaring tasks.

Objective: This study quantified changes in RN trainee physical fitness during Initial Naval Training (INT) and assessed associations with the RN PES to inform the development of a pre-joining fitness test.

Methods: 91 (6 F) participants completed the Chester Step Test (CST), seated medicine ball throw (SMBT), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), counter movement jump (CMJ) and handgrip strength (HS) assessments at the start of both INT (Session-1) and Phase-2 (Session-2) training. During Session-2, participants also completed a Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT). Participants also undertook the RN PES during Phase-2 training (Session-3). Physical fitness was compared between Session-1 and Session-2 by Paired Samples t-tests. Associations between fitness tests and RN PES performance were calculated by Pearson's correlation coefficients (r).

Results: Upper body power, lower body power, and strength increased between measurement points. However, aerobic fitness decreased. The size of correlations between physical fitness tests and RN PES test performance ranged between small (MSFT and Casualty Drag) to large (SMBT and Hand-Over-Hand Haul). Generally, muscular strength and power measures had a greater association (r = -0.221 to -0.699) with RN task performance (RN PES) than the aerobic capacity measures (r = -0.089 to -0.382).

Conclusion: These data reinforce the importance of absolute strength in critical RN task performance and will inform RN pre-joining fitness requirements.