Aleksandar Čvorović

This study examined the effects of functional training on musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries, days lost from training, and attrition rate among police recruits in Abu Dhabi. A total of 441 Abu Dhabi Police recruits were randomly allocated into experimental (n = 220) and control (n = 221) groups. The experimental group underwent six weeks of preconditioning functional training, while the control group followed the standard Abu Dhabi Police recruitment procedure. Subsequently, both groups entered 16 weeks of basic military training (BMT). The outcome measures (injury rate, days lost from training, and attrition rate) were collected at the end of BMT. The proportion of injuries reported by the experimental group was significantly lower than that reported by the control group (15.3% versus 52.3%, respectively [χ² = 66.8, p < 0.001]). There were significant differences in the median (minimum, maximum) number of injuries and number of days lost to training between the experimental and control groups [1 (1, 5) versus 2 (1, 9), p = 0.002 (r = 0.30); and 2.5 (1, 26) versus 5.0 (1, 37), p < 0.001 (r = 0.34), respectively]. The number of dropouts due to MSK injuries during BMT was 1 in the experimental group and 5 in the control group (p = 0.06). Tactical athletes who did not undergo preconditioning training demonstrated a greater risk of non-contact lower-limb injury than those who received structured conditioning training. Therefore, preconditioning training might be a beneficial tool to minimize injuries among tactical athlete trainees. Trial Registration: ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN41786994), retrospectively registered on 13 April 2026.

Triathlon is a multisport discipline that combines three sports: swimming, cycling, and running, and is considered a physically demanding sport. The mass participation in triathlons has been on the rise in recent years, especially among recreational athletes. The aim of this research is to identify and determine whether there are differences in the motivational factors of amateur triathletes from different countries, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The sample included 128 amateur triathletes: 70 from Serbia and 58 from the UAE. For the purposes of the research, a questionnaire was used, consisting of two parts: the first part provided insight into basic sociodemographic data of the participants (age, gender, education, sports experience, and income), while the second part used a modified marathoners motivation scale, consisting of 24 items. For data analysis, appropriate statistical methods were applied to process the results. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to quantify and describe the examined variables across the total sample of participant as well as within specific groups. To determine group differences in motivational factors–achievement motives, social motives, and overall motivation (OM)–an independent samples t-test was used, while the Mann-Whitney U test was applied for physical health motives and psychological motives. Analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the compared groups in any category of motivational factors, nor in OM.

Hamad Alkaabi, Everett Lohman, Mansoor Alameri, Noha Daher, Aleksandar Cvorovic and Hatem Jaber. PTRS 2023;12:222-8. https://doi.org/10.14474/ptrs.2023.12.3.222

Background: The number of completed sit-ups in a given period of time is a commonly used assessment to measure trunk endurance in tactical populations. This study investigated factorial and construct validity of three different durations of a sit-up test—30 s, 60 s, and 120 s; Methods: Anthropometric characteristics and sit-ups performed for 30, 60, and 120 s by101 (♂: n = 62 and ♀: n = 39) police students were assessed. A factorial analysis was used to determine if three test durations group together in one factor, correlation analysis determined whether the sit-up tests were associated with anthropometric measures and whether the three variations in the test duration correlated between each other, and the Fisher’s transformation determined whether these correlations differed significantly; Results: All three sit-up variations loaded together into one factor in both sexes, providing factorial validity for all three test durations. Anthropometrics were associated with sit-up tests lasting 30 s in males and 120 s in females. A sit-up test lasting 60 s correlated significantly stronger to 120 s than to the 30 s sit-up test; Conclusions: The 60 s sit-up test seems to have the highest construct validity, as it was not affected by anthropometrics, and it may be an optimal choice for its lower risk of lower back injuries. By applying the results of this study, agencies could reduce the bias that may occur during the sit-up test and reduce the risk of injury during physical fitness assessment.

Police officers occasionally encounter belligerents resisting or even physically assaulting them without or with objects. The self-defense or legal utilization of use of force to disable the offender from harming an officer or others may depend on a single movement speed of hands and legs. This study investigated the effects of task complexity on a single movement response time of the upper and lower limbs in police officers. The sample consisted of 32 male police officers aged between 23 and 50 years. They performed a single movement as fast as possible with their upper and lower limb in three incrementally more complex tasks. In the first task, participants acted on a light signal and with their dominant limb they had to turn off the signal as fast as possible. In the second task, on the light signal, participants could turn off the light with free choice of the upper limb in a hand task or lower limb in a leg task. In the third task, participants had to turn the light off with the right limb if the light turned red and with the left limb if the light turned blue. The BlazePod device was used to assess the movement response time. The results show that there was a significant effect of task complexity on the single movement response time of the hand (F = 24.5, p < 0.001) and leg (F = 46.2, p < 0.001). The training of police officers should utilize specific and situational tasks to improve movement response time by improving the redundancy in decision-making processes during work-specific tasks of different complexity.

BACKGROUND: Body anthropometrics are biologically predetermined, while morphology responds to energy intake and output and stressors, thus impacting health. Fitness is impacted by these bodily characteristics. OBJECTIVE: This study determined to what degree anthropomorphic measures and age of police officers determined 2.4 km running performance. METHODS: Age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and 2.4 km running time (RUN) of 1916 male police officers were directly measured and analyzed. After determining correlations of anthropomorphic variables with RUN. Stepwise linear regressions evaluated individual associations of age, height, weight, BMI, WC, and WHtR with RUN, to determine the model with the highest predictive value of RUN performance. RESULTS: WHtR was the strongest RUN predictor (r = 0.672, R2 = 0.451, p < 0.001), while the best predictive model apart from WHtR also included age and BM (R2 = 0.556, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: WHtR was the strongest anthropomorphic predictor of RUN performance. As a predictor, WHtR provides information on both anthropometric and morphology components of police officers. Its utilization among police occupations may be more effective than BMI as it better relates to performance.

The first aim of this study was to compare body mass index (BMI) (indirect method) classification with the body fat percent (PBF) (direct method) and to determine how BMI classifies subjects with different levels of skeletal muscle mass percent (PSMM). The second aim was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity status among police trainees (PTs). A total of 103 male PTs participated in this research: age = 21.46 ± 0.64 years, body mass (BM) = 75.97 ± 8.10 kg, body height (BH) = 174.07 ± 6.31 cm, BMI = 25.05 ± 2.12 kg/m². The InBody 370 multichannel bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measured body composition. Study results indicated that muscular PTs could be misclassified as overweight and that PBF identified more subjects as obese. Namely, three PTs were obese according to BMI, while 13 were obese according to PBF. The information provided by this research could be used to help professionals understand the importance of measuring body composition, and the inaccuracies in BMI classification. In conclusion, whenever possible PSMM and PBF should replace the utilization of BMI to screen overweight and obesity in PTs. Agencies may think of using BIA as non-invasive, quick and inexpensive measurement tool.

Čvorović, A, Kukić, F, Orr, RM, Dawes, JJ, Jeknić, V, and Stojković, M. Impact of a 12-week postgraduate training course on the body composition and physical abilities of police trainees. J Strength Cond Res 35(3): 826–832, 2021—The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of a 12-week physical training program on police trainees at the Abu Dhabi Police College. Anthropometric and fitness testing data for 325 healthy trainees, enrolled in an academic course for qualification as a police officer, were analyzed. The trainees were tested 3 times, during the initial (week 1), midpoint (week 7), and final testing (week 13) phases of the training program. The tested variables included anthropometry (body mass [BM]), body composition (body mass index [BMI]; waist circumference [WC]; waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]), upper-body muscular endurance (1-minute push-up [PU]), trunk muscular endurance (1-minute sit-up [SU]), and aerobic endurance (2.4-km run [RUN]). A 1-way analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni adjustment was performed to investigate the changes in anthropometry and fitness across the 3 testing periods with percentages of change calculated at each testing stage. Alpha levels were set at 0.05 a priori. Statistically significant differences (range of p values from p < 0.001 to p < 0.05) were found in all tested variables (BM, BMI, WC, WHtR, PU, SU, and RUN) and between all testing stages (initial, midpoint, and final). A progressive physical training program that incorporates mesocycles and midpoint evaluations can have a positive impact on the fitness of trainees even when undergoing a busy academy program.

This study investigated differences in the body composition of police officers from different occupational groups and the moderation effects of leisure time physical activity (LTPA). A sample of 237 police officers (special anti-terrorist unit, gendarmerie, firefighters, and general duties) participated in the study. Body mass index (BMI), percent of body fat (%BF), percent of skeletal muscle mass (%SMM), and index of hypokinesia (IH) were assessed using a multichannel bioelectric impedance analyzer and officers reported the amount of LTPA using an international physical activity questionnaire. The sample was divided in three groups relative to LTPA, sedentary (0–149 min/week), moderately active (150–299 min/week), and very active (300+ min/week). Multiple analysis of variance (4 × 3) was used to analyze if occupational groups differed based solely on occupation, if officers from the same occupation differed in muscularity and fatness based on LTPA, and if any differences in body composition occurred between officers from different occupations with the same level of LTPA. Police officers from more physically demanding occupations demonstrated lower %BF and IH, while having higher %SMM. This was also observed among the officers of the same occupation who reported a higher LTPA, while officers who reported very high LTPA had similar body composition.