Critical Velocity Is Associated With Combat-Specific Performance Measures in a Special Forces Unit

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Military Performance Assessment

Background:

• Assessing the physical capabilities of special forces (SFs) personnel is crucial for mission readiness.
• Traditional fitness tests may not fully capture the physiological demands of combat-specific tasks (CST).
• Critical velocity (CV) and anaerobic distance capacity (ADC) are key physiological markers of endurance performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between critical velocity (CV) and anaerobic distance capacity (ADC) and combat-specific tasks (CST) in a special forces unit.
• To evaluate the utility of a 3-minute all-out run as a field test for assessing aerobic and anaerobic fitness relevant to military duties.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen male soldiers from an SF unit completed a 3-minute all-out run and CST including a 2.5-km run, 50-m casualty carry, and 30-m repeated sprints with shooting (RPTDS).
• CV and ADC were estimated from global positioning system (GPS) data during the 3-minute all-out run.
• CV was calculated as the average velocity in the final 30 seconds; ADC was the velocity-time integral above CV.

Main Results:

• Critical velocity (CV) showed significant negative correlations with 2.5-km run time (r = -0.62) and RPTDS time (r = -0.71).
• CV was positively correlated with average velocity during the 2.5-km run (r = 0.64).
• Stepwise regression identified CV as the primary predictor for 2.5-km run time, and both BMI and CV measures for RPTDS time (R² = 0.67).

Conclusions:

• The 3-minute all-out run provides a practical and efficient method for assessing both aerobic (CV) and anaerobic (ADC) fitness in military personnel.
• CV is a significant predictor of performance in key combat-related endurance and repeated sprint tasks.
• This testing approach can streamline physical readiness assessments within special forces units.