Physical Demands of Brazilian Air Force Critical Combat Tasks

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aimed to identify the physical demands of Brazilian Air Force (BAF) critical Combat Tasks (CTs) and investigate the occurrence of differences in their difficulty perceived ratings, considering aspects such as sex, military experience, and academic degree of the evaluators.

Methods: The Subject Matter Expert (SME) cohort was assembled based on the BAF's Physical Training Specialists (n = 13, military, at least 2 years of experience). Based on the BAF's previous studies, a questionnaire defining and rating the physical demands of 12 BAF critical CTs was developed. The SMEs evaluated the components related to the physical demands of each CT on a scale of 0 (unnecessary) to 10 (very demanding) using an online survey.

Results: Cronbach's alpha was employed to analyze the internal consistency of the assessments and demonstrated an "almost perfect" correlation (α = 0.986). The Mann-Whitney test revealed minimal discrepancies in the distributions of SMEs' responses based on sex (2.5%), military experience (5.8%), or academic level (6.7%); P < .05. The evaluations of the SMEs allowed the establishment of a profile of the biomotor skills involved of the BAF CTs.

Conclusions: The evaluations of the biomotor skills involved in the performance of the critical CTs of the BAF demonstrated that the profile required of the BAF's tactical athletes is predominantly related to the components of muscular strength, muscular endurance, and aerobic fitness. Although further research is required to fully understand the physiological demands of CTs, the biomotor skills identified can inform the design of training programs, allowing for a more targeted approach.