Rationale for an alternative exercise to assess the endurance of officers at risk of cardiovascular disease

The aim of the study was to scientifically substantiate the use of the 6-minute Concept-2 rowing ergometer test as an alternative assessment exercise for evaluating the endurance of officers at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Seventy-eight operational-level officers participated in the study. During testing, heart rate was monitored, and distance, intensity zones, respiratory rate, energy expenditure, and the Hildebrandt index were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk and Wilcoxon tests, and coefficients of variation and Spearman correlation were employed. An assessment scale was developed using the percentile method, and rating consistency was determined via Cohen’s kappa coefficients. A physiologically appropriate cardiorespiratory response to exertion was observed, along with high reproducibility of the distance covered (r=0.897; p<0.001) and a strong inverse correlation with 1000-meter run time (r=-0.730; p<0.001). Rating consistency values were κ=0.695, κw=0.846, and κw=0.937 (p<0.001), with an exact agreement of 75.6%. The obtained results confirmed the reliability, criterion validity, and soundness of the developed scale for assessing the endurance of officers at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.