Strength, Cardiovascular Fitness, and Blood Lipid Measures in Law Enforcement Personnel After a 12-Week Health Promotion Program

Abstract

Hibbert, JE, Klawiter, DP, Schubert, MM, Nessler, JA, and Asakawa, DS. Strength, cardiovascular fitness, and blood lipid measures in law enforcement personnel after a 12-week health promotion program. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3105-3112, 2022-Law enforcement personnel often have high rates of cardiovascular disease and injury. Health promotion programs have been found to successfully encourage behavior change among law enforcement personnel, but these programs can often be intensive and expensive. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a health promotion program on body composition, metabolic health, muscle strength, and cardiovascular endurance in law enforcement personnel. Active duty officers from a local law enforcement agency were invited to participate in a 12-week health promotion program that included activity tracking and exercise and nutrition education. Eighteen subjects underwent measurements of body composition, V̇ o2 max through treadmill test, knee extensor strength, and blood lipids. An a priori alpha level for significance was set at 0.05, and comparisons were assessed using paired t -tests. Overall, subjects improved blood lipid levels evidenced by movement of mean values toward established healthy ranges. Although 8 subjects improved their V̇ o2 max (range: 1.3-30% change), there was large variability and no statistically significant differences in measures of V̇ o2 max (pre: 38.48 ± 5.86 ml·kg·min -1 ; post: 39.27 ± 5.26 ml·kg·min -1 ), body composition (pre: 26.52 ± 8.02% body fat; post: 26.44 ± 7.45% body fat), and strength normalized to body mass (isometric pre: 1.45 ± 0.45; post: 1.08 ± 0.36). Although no significant changes were noted, promising trends in these data suggest that health promotion programs with a modified focus may lead to positive changes in overall health.