AUTHOR=Drozd Jan , Neubauer Jiří , Sekanina Jiří , Sedlačík Marek 

TITLE=Bridging the gap: aligning physical work capacity testing with actual endurance performance in military settings

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1536197

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1536197

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Physical fitness tests are essential for evaluating the endurance capabilities of military personnel. In many armed forces, including the Czech Republic’s, the Physical Working Capacity at a heart rate of 170 beats per minute (PWC 170) test is used to predict performance on the 12-min Cooper run, a widely accepted measure of endurance. However, concerns exist regarding the accuracy of the currently used conversion between PWC 170 test results, specifically W170/kg (watts per kilogram of body weight), and actual 12-min run performance. This study directly investigates the relationship between W170/kg and 12-min run times among military recruits and students (military personnel) from a university with a military program. Utilizing regression analysis, we found a significant positive correlation between W170/kg and 12-min run performance. However, the currently used conversion significantly underestimated actual 12-min run performance across all analyzed groups. These findings highlight a critical need to revise the existing conversion standard between W170/kg and 12-min run performance to ensure a more accurate and effective assessment of endurance capabilities in military personnel.