Twelve-Week Structured Physical Training Improves Occupational Role-Related Fitness and Physical Function in U.K. Specialist Police Officers

Coulson, M and Bradley, EJ. Twelve-week structured physical training improves occupational role-related fitness and physical function in U.K. specialist police officers. J Strength Cond Res 39(10): e1249-e1255, 2025-Physical performance is crucial to enable police officers to complete occupation-related tasks effectively. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week unsupervised structured exercise training program across a range of fitness measures. Twenty-three U.K. firearms officers (FO) underwent initial physical assessments then completed a 12-week training intervention that included exercises that targeted aerobic and anaerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. For cardiovascular fitness, officers were advised to complete 3 d·wk -1 , 10 minutes per session starting at an intensity of 7-8 (rating of percieved exertion [RPE]) with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1 progressing to RPE level 8-9 and work-to-rest ratio of 1:2 and then to RPE level 9-10 with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:3. For resistance-related training, officers were advised to complete a minimum 1 d·wk -1 , 10 minutes per session. Physical assessments were reassessed and analyzed to identify whether significant ( p ≤ 0.05) changes because of the intervention occurred. The training intervention produced moderate significant increases in V̇ o2 max of 1.7 ml·kg -1 ·min -1 ( d = 1.12; p < 0.001), grip strength of 8.1 kg ( d = 0.89; p = 0.002), and reaction score of 2.7 strikes ( d = 0.73; p = 0.007). The FO had a good level of muscular endurance at the beginning of the assessment, which stayed relatively stable after the training intervention. The outcomes of this study suggest that a 12-week structured nonsupervised exercise training program can improve a range of beneficial physical and fitness measures.