CARDIORESPIRATORY AND NEUROMUSCULAR FITNESS OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY POLICE OFFICERS

This study aims to describe and evaluate the level of cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular fitness of a national sample of federal highway patrol officers. Methods: Cross-sectional study with data from 6212 agents of the Federal Highway Police. Endpoints were as follows: abdominal resistance (AR); upper limb muscular resistance (ULMR); upper limb muscle strength (ULMS) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CF). The following independent variables were included: sex; age; geographic region of posting and participation in the Institutional Physical Education Program (IPEP). The linear regression model was used to test the association between endpoints and independent variables.

Results:

The highest proportion of police officers obtained an excellent score for neuromuscular endpoints (AR: 63.9% men, 69.6% women, ULMR: 68.8% men, 61.8% women, ULMS: 22.2% men, 40% women). In CF, the highest percentage of scores was average and good (respectively, 30.6% and 43.0% for men, 39.1% and 39.2% for women). Male officers were fitter than female officers, except for the ULMS endpoint. There was a decrease in fitness levels for all endpoints according to age. Police officers from the northern region were fitter than in the other regions. Police officers who were not registered in the IPEP were fitter than those registered.

Conclusion:

Federal Highway Patrol officers have good levels of fitness, which declines with age. Level of Evidence III; Study of nonconsecutive patients; without consistently applied "gold" reference standard.

Keywords:
Police; Physical fitness; Physical endurance; Muscle strength; Health

Variables	Male			Female
Variables	N	%	(95% CI)	N	%	(95% CI)
Age
Up to 29 years	316	5,8	(5,1 – 6,3)	55	8,6	(6,4 – 10,7)
30-39	2848	51,1	(49,8 – 52,4)	368	57,2	(53,5 – 61,1)
40-49	1962	35,2	(34,0 – 36,5)	184	28,7	(25,2 – 32,2)
50 years or more	444	7,9	(7,3 – 8,7)	35	5,5	(3,7 – 7,2)
Region
South	1281	23,3	(22,2 – 24,4)	113	18,3	(15,2 – 21,3)
Southeast	1197	21,8	(20,7 – 22,9)	128	20,7	(17,5 – 23,9)
Midwest	828	15,1	(16,3 – 22,5)	120	19,4	(16,3 – 22,5)
North	589	10,7	(9,9 – 11,5)	73	11,8	(9,2 – 14,3)
Northeast	1600	29,1	(27,9 – 30,3)	185	29,8	(26,3 – 33,5)
IPEP
Not registered	1291	23,7	(22,5 – 24,8)	98	15,8	(12,9 – 18,7)
Registered	4641	76,3	(75,2 – 77,5)	521	84,2	(81,3 – 87,1)
Cardiorespiratory fitness - VO_2max
Very poor	331	6	(5,3 – 6,6)	32	5	(3,3 – 6,7)
Poor	487	8,8	(8,0 – 9,5)	93	14,5	(11,8 – 17,3)
Fair	1699	30,6	(29,4 – 31,8)	251	39,2	(35,4 – 43,0)
Good	2388	43	(41,8 – 44,4)	250	39,1	(35,3 – 42,9)
Very Good	641	11,6	(10,7 – 12,4)	14	2,2	(1,1 – 3,3)
Abdominal Resistance
Weak	189	3,4	(2,9 – 3,9)	16	2,6	(1,3 – 3,8)
Below Average	385	7	(6,3 – 7,6)	39	6,2	(4,3 – 8,1)
Fair	539	9,8	(9,0 – 10,5)	56	8,9	(6,7 – 11,2)
Above Average	893	16,2	(15,2 – 17,1)	80	12,7	(10,1 – 15,4)
Excellent	3523	63,6	(62,5 – 65,0)	437	69,6	(70,0 – 73,2)
Upper Limb Muscle Resistance
Poor	123	2,2	(1,8 – 2,6)	7	1,1	(0,3 – 1,9)
Below Average	260	4,7	(4,2 – 5,2)	35	5,6	(3,8 – 7,4)
Fair	451	8,2	(7,4 – 8,9)	58	9,2	(7,0 – 11,6)
Above Average	890	16,1	(15,2 – 17,1)	139	22,2	(19,0 – 25,5)
Excellent	3792	68,8	(67,5 – 70,0)	386	61,8	(57,9 – 65,6)
Upper Limb Muscle Strength
0^* * 0=Failed to execute.	45	2	(1,4 – 2,6)	0	0	0
1	179	7,9	(6,8 – 9,0)	6	13,3	(3,0 – 23,7)
2	211	9,3	(8,1 – 10,5)	3	6,8	(0,0 – 14,2)
3	198	8,7	(7,6 – 9,9)	6	13,3	(3,0 – 23,7)
4	205	9	(7,8 – 10,2)	2	4,4	(0,0 – 10,7)
5	249	11	(9,7 – 12,3)	2	4,4	(0,0 – 10,7)
6	196	8,6	(7,5 – 9,8)	3	6,8	(0,0 – 14,2)
7	195	8,6	(7,4 – 9,8)	2	4,4	(0,0 – 10,7)
8	162	7,1	(6,1 – 8,2)	2	4,4	(0,0 – 10,7)
9	128	5,6	(4,7 – 6,6)	1	2,2	(0,0 – 6,7)
10	503	22,2	(20,4 – 23,9)	18	40	(25,1 – 54,9)

Variables	VO_2max (mL.kg^-1.min^-1)			Abdominal resistance (reps)			ULMR (reps)			ULMS ^ Testing not compulsory, in repetitions for men and seconds for women. Missing values (male = 3137 and female = 592).
	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Male (reps)			Female (s)
	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value	Mean	(95% CI)	P value
Sex			<0.001			<0,001			<0.001			<0.001
Male	38,0	(37,1 – 38,3)		33,5	(33,3 – 33,7)		28.3	(28.1 – 28.6)		28,3	(28,1 – 28,6)
Female	30,6	(30,6 – 33,1)		30,1	(29,3 – 30,9)		26.5	(25.7 – 27.2)		26,5	(25,7 – 27,2)
Age			<0.001^* * p-value for linear trend;			<0,001^* * p-value for linear trend;			<0.001^* * p-value for linear trend;			<0.001^* * p-value for linear trend;			<0.001^* * p-value for linear trend;
Up to 29 years	40,7	(40,0 – 41,3)		41,2	(40,5 – 41,9)		36.5	(35.5 – 37.4)		36,5	(35,5 – 37,4)		10,6	(10,1 – 11,1)
30-39	39,0	(38,7 – 39,3)		35,6	(35,3 – 35,8)		40.0	(30.7 – 31.3)		40,0	(30,7 – 31,3)		9,4	(9,2 – 9,6)
40-49	35,4	(35,0 – 35,8)		29,7	(29,4 – 30,1)		24.2	(23.8 – 24.6)		24,2	(23,8 – 24,6)		7,2	(6,9 – 7,5)
50 years or more	31,3	(30,5 – 32,2)		25,6	(24,7 – 26,4)		19.3	(18.8 – 20.5)		19,3	(18,8 – 20,5)		5,5	(4,8 – 6,2)
Region			<0.001^¥ ¥ all different intragroup categories, except for the south region and Midwest regions;			<0,001^£ £ all different intragroup categories, except for southern and Midwest regions / southeast and Midwest;			<0.001^£ £ all different intragroup categories, except for southern and Midwest regions / southeast and Midwest;			<0.001^£ £ all different intragroup categories, except for southern and Midwest regions / southeast and Midwest;			<0.001^ǂ ǂ all different intragroup categories, with exception of the South and Southeast / Southeast and Midwest/Southeast and Northeast; ULMR = Upper Limb Muscle Resistance; ULMS = Upper Limb Muscle Strength; (reps) = repetitions.
South	38,5	(38,1 – 38,9)		34,1	(33,7 – 34,5)		28.6	(28.2 – 29.1)		28,6	(28,2 – 29,1)		9,1	(8,8 – 9,5)
Southeast	36,8	(36,3 – 37,3)		32,8	(32,4 – 33,3)		27.6	(27.1 – 28.1)		27,6	(27,1 – 28,1)		8,4	(8,1 – 8,8)
Midwest	38,6	(38,0 – 39,1)		33,6	(33,1 – 34,0)		27.8	(27.2 – 28.4)		27,8	(27,2 – 28,4)		8,8	(8,4 – 9,2)
North	40,6	(40,0 – 41,1)		38,2	(37,6 – 38,7)		33.5	(32.7 – 34.3)		33,5	(32,7 – 34,3)		9,8	(9,4 – 10,2)
Northeast	34,8	(34,4 – 35,2)		30,7	(30,2 – 31,1)		26.3	(25.9 – 26.8)		26,3	(25,9 – 26,8)		7,9	(7,6 – 8,2)
IPEP			<0.001			<0,001			<0.001			<0.001			0.27
Not registered	38,3	(37,8 – 38,7)		34,2	(33,7 – 34,6)		29.2	(28.7 – 29.7)		29,2	(28,7 – 29,7)		8,6	(8,3 – 8,9)
Registered	36,9	(36,6 – 37,2)		32,8	(32,6 – 33,1)		27.8	(27.5 – 28.1)		27,8	(27,5 – 28,1)		8,8	(8,6 – 9,0)

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E-mail: atharbme@uol.com.br

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[1] Correspondence: Eduardo Frio Marins, Rua Luis de Camões, 625, Bairro Tablada, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. 96055-630. dudufrio@gmail.com/eduardo.marins@prf.gov.br