Evaluating Army Combat Fitness Test Scores: The Influence of Sleep, Nutrition, and Body Composition in Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadets

Dicks, ND, Ketterling, JJ, Wooldridge, JD, Shoemaker, ME, and Barry, AM. Evaluating Army Combat Fitness Test scores: The influence of sleep, nutrition, and body composition in army reserve officers' training corps cadets. J Strength Cond Res 40(2): 218-224, 2026-The U.S. Army's Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program highlights the importance of physical, mental, nutritional, spiritual, and sleep domains for optimizing soldier readiness. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets must meet physical fitness standards, including the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), yet often lack access to H2F resources. This cross-sectional study investigated how lifestyle factors-physical activity (PA), sleep quality, nutritional habits, and fat-free mass (FFM)-influence ACFT performance among Army ROTC cadets. Forty-six cadets (21.6 ± 2.0 years; women = 7) completed validated questionnaires assessing PA (IPAQ), sleep (PSQI), and nutrition (REAP-S), and underwent anthropometric testing. ACFT scores were obtained from the cadre within 30 days of survey completion. Cadets scoring ≥540 on the ACFT demonstrated significantly better sleep quality (PSQI; p < 0.01) and shorter sleep latency than those scoring <540. Backward linear regression identified PSQI as a significant negative predictor of ACFT scores ( β = -0.42, p = 0.007), with REAP-S and FFM showing marginal significance. Correlation analyses revealed small, significant associations between BF%, MVPA, and PSQI. The final regression model explained 22.4% of the variance in ACFT scores. These results emphasize the importance of sleep quality and body composition in cadet performance, suggesting that targeted education and training strategies could improve readiness in ROTC populations. Future programs should consider holistic approaches to cadet wellness, especially without formal H2F support.