Correction Factors for Body Mass in Military Physical Fitness Tests

Recent research findings combined with the theoretical laws of biological similarity make the compelling case that all physical fitness test items for the Army, Air Force, and Navy impose a 15-20% physiologic bias against heavier, not fatter, men and women. Using the published findings that actual scores of muscle and aerobic endurance scale by body mass raised to the 1/3 power, correction factor tables were developed. This correction factor can be multiplied by one’s actual score (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, or curl-ups repetitions or distance run time) to yield adjusted scores that are free of body mass bias. These adjusted scores eliminate this bias, become better overall indicators of physical fitness relevant to military tasks, are easily applied to the scoring tables used in the present physical fitness tests, and do not reward body fatness. Use of these correction factors should be explored by all military services to contribute to more relevant fitness tests. Introduction Recent research evidence suggests that each of the physical fitness tests of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force imposes a 15-20% penalty on heavier, not fatter, service members. The strategies for reducing or eliminating these penalties, however, have not been investigated. The objective of this paper, then, is to detail the derivation and illustrate the use of one practical strategy: a system of correction factors that can be applied to the present physical fitness test scoring systems of the primary services of the U.S. military. The importance of routine physical fitness testing in the military services is undisputed. In fact, all servicemembers of the Army, Air Force, and Navy are required to take physical fitness tests on a regular basis. Norm-based comparisons are often used for performance evaluation and criterion-based assessments are used to ensure minimally