Kristína Němá¹, Tomáš Kozák², Miroslav Ligday¹, Łukasz Rydzik³

¹University of Presov, Faculty of Sports, Department of Educology of Sports, Presov, Slovakia
²University of Presov, Faculty of Sports, Department of Sports Kinanthropology, Presov, Slovakia
³University of Physical Education in Krakow, Institute of Sports Sciences, Krakow, Poland

Physical Fitness of Police Force Applicants: Trends from 2010 to 2023

Sport Mont 2025, 23(3), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.251002

Abstract

Physical fitness plays a critical role in the selection process for police service due to the demanding nature of law enforcement duties. The aim of this study was to analyze long-term trends in selected physical abilities of male police applicants over a 13-year period. The research sample consisted of 254 male applicants (mean age 28.99±6.34 years), divided according to year of assessment: 2010 (n=68), 2014 (n=97), 2017 (n=21), 2019 (n=14), 2021 (n=28), and 2023 (n=16). The following tests were used to assess physical fitness: 50-meter sprint, sit-ups, standing long jump, 1000-meter run, overhead medicine ball throw, and push-ups. The median was used as the primary measure of central tendency in all analyses. The Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Bonferroni-corrected Mann- Whitney U were used for inferential analysis. A significant decline in muscular endurance of the upper limbs was observed between 2014 and 2019 (p<0.001), while upper body explosive strength showed progressive improvement from 2010 to 2023 (p<0.001). Speed performance decreased significantly in 2014 compared to 2010 (p<0.001), with partial recovery in later years. No statistically significant trends were observed in core strength and endurance lower limb explosive power or aerobic endurance, suggesting relative stability in these abilities over time. The results highlight the need for a detailed assessment of physical fitness trends among police applicants, with an emphasis on factors that may influence their performance across different time periods.

Keywords

security forces, physical assessment, conditioning ability

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