Keywords
physical conditioning
military personnel
Air Force
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Physical conditioning is essential for military operational success; thus, physical training is fundamental to maintaining and improving physical fitness.
Objective: To longitudinally analyze the neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory fitness of female cadets of the Brazilian Air Force (BAF) during the four years of their training at the Air Force Academy (AFA).
Methods: Observational, longitudinal study, in which 22 female cadets who joined AFA in 2016 participated in the study, who were followed until graduation in 2019. The parameters evaluated included muscle endurance of the upper limbs (push-ups), localized abdominal muscle endurance (abdominals) and aerobic capacity (12-minute running test to estimate VO2máx). The evaluations were conducted annually, with longitudinal monitoring of the results throughout the period.
Results: The results indicated stability in VO2máx values over the four years, while improvements were observed in muscle strength tests, both for push-ups and sit-ups. Despite the constancy in cardiorespiratory fitness, the training contributed to maintaining the minimum levels required for BAF personnel.
Conclusion: It is concluded that the physical training program achieves its purpose by maintaining or improving the physical fitness of female cadets, meeting the parameters established for their age group and gender. The study suggests the need for future research, including considering the impact of post-pandemic adaptations, to optimize training and physical capacity assessment methods.
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