Physiological determinants of performance on an indoor military obstacle course test

Obstacle courses (OCs), physical challenge courses, smd confidence courses are valuable in training and assessing military troops. However, OCs are no t well characterized with regard to physical demands and requisite abilitie s. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical capabilities asso ciated with success on an OC. Male subjects (N = 47) were assessed on an OC , skinfolds, upper and lower body aerobic and anaerobic power, muscular str ength, and endurance. Faster performers were lighter (p < 0.003), leaner, a nd, relative to body weight, averaged greater arm anaerobic peak and mean p ower, leg aerobic power, one-repetition maximum leg press, and one-repetiti on maximum latissimus dorsi pull-down, than slower performers. There were s ignificant correlations between OC time and weight (0.59), percent fat (0.5 4), anaerobic leg mean power (-0.43), arm anaerobic peak (-0.48) and mean p ower (-0.48), and arm (-0.51) and leg aerobic power (-0.53), all expressed relative to body weight. A three-variable regression model accounted for 35 % of the variation in OC time. Good performers on this OC displayed many di verse physical capabilities.