Does body size impact muscle recruitment during law enforcement physical control simulator use?

This study examined muscle activation during the 'push-pull' component of law enforcement physical abilities testing and assessed activation differences based on sex, height, and body mass index. Fifty participants (40 male) completed the 'push-pull' task while surface electromyograms were recorded from ten upper and lower extremity muscles, and six trunk muscles. Muscle activation was amplitude-normalized to maximum voluntary isometric contraction and compared between sexes and tertiles of height and body mass index (BMI). Women had significantly higher activation of anterior deltoid and pectoralis major on the pull, and posterior deltoid and triceps on the push. Significant differences largely remained after controlling for body size in regression analyses. The lowest tertile of height had significantly higher triceps activity on the push. The highest tertile of BMI had significantly higher rectus abdominus and external obliques activity on the pull, and external obliques activation on the push. Practitioner summary: Muscle activation during the 'push-pull' component of law enforcement standardised testing was examined, including differences based on sex, height, and BMI. Minimal differences existed between sexes (females had higher deltoid, pectoralis major, triceps activity), height (shorter people had higher triceps activity) and BMI tertiles (larger people had more abdominal activity). Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; BMI: body mass index; COPAT: correctional officer's physical abilities test; EMG: electromyogram; IMU: inertial measurement unit; MVIC: maximum voluntary isometric contraction; PARE: physical abilities requirement evaluation; PCS: physical control simulator; POPAT: police officer's physical abilities test; RMS: root mean square.