Researchers Claim ACFT Has Same or Lower Injury Risk as APFT
On the surface the claim the six event ACFT causes less injuries than the prior three event APFT may not seem to make sense. More events mean more opportunities to get injured. However, there is a reason why the numbers may be unchanged or less, how easy the ACFT is:
Researchers at the Rand Corp. examined data related to the administration of the test and found that the new one presented a similar or lower injury risk than the previous Army Physical Fitness Test. The Army Combat Fitness Test, launched in 2022, was designed to better prepare troops for the rigors of combat. Another aim was to curb preventable injuries. “More than half of soldiers experienced a new injury in 2021, so success in reducing the risk of injury could have a significant impact on both medical costs and lost workdays,” the report released Monday said.
This statement shows these researchers do not have proper understanding of what is happening with the ACFT and injuries:
The study found that soldiers who failed the test were about 20% more likely to have an injury in the 180-day window following it. Better performance on the test also was associated with reduced risk of injury in that 180-day window, Rand said.
The Soldiers that fail the ACFT which is very easy to pass are usually the ones that immediately go on profile to delay having to take the ACFT again. Repeated failure of the ACFT can lead to being chaptered from the Army. The Soldiers that pass the ACFT tend to not go on profile because they don’t need to avoid taking the ACFT again. The fact the ACFT is so easy to pass is likely why injuries remain the same or are lower compared to the three event APFT.
The injury risk I think is actually very similar because the worst event for a Soldier’s body with the APFT was the situp that led to many back injuries. The Army replaced this injury prone event with another back breaking event, the deadlift. For lower leg injuries I would not be surprised if the sprint drag carry combined with the two mile run doesn’t lead to more lower leg injuries. However, the minimum times are so low on the 2-mile run not much effort has to be put into it to pass. Maybe the little effort put into the run is actually better for preventing leg injuries?
