Robin M Orr

Bond University · Tactical Research Unit

Introduction: Many injuries experienced by soldiers can be attributed to the occupational loads they are required to carry. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether contemporary military load carriage is a source of injuries to Australian Regular Army soldiers and to profile these injuries. Methods: The Australian Defence Force...

INTRODUCTION Military soldiers are required to carry loads as part of their occupation. These loads have led to injuries and even mortalities on the battlefield. Recent evidence suggests that the absolute loads carried by Australian Army soldiers are increasing. The intent of this study was to investigate the loads carried by Australian Regular Arm...

There are obvious differences between men and women, differences which are taken into consideration when training athletes. Numerous texts discuss the gender specific requirements of the female athlete, from coaching styles and training methods, to dealing with social pressures and the impact of factors that selectively affect the female athlete. O...

Background: With soldiers carrying increasing loads, physical conditioning may provide one means of reducing injuries and increasing the ability to train, maintain and retain soldiers. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review the current literature on physical conditioning for load carriage and present the findings in a manner that will allo...

From the loads carried by the armies of antiquity to today’s modern forces, this article explores and critically analyses soldier load carriage over two millennia. Historical misconceptions appearing in some military documents and literature regarding the context and weight of the soldier’s load are also discussed. The author looks at how, even wit...

Lockie, RG, Orr, RM, Montes, F, Ruvalcaba, TJ, and Dawes, JJ. Impact of physical fitness on reasons for academy release in firefighter trainees. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-Firefighter trainees require a certain level of fitness to be admitted to and to complete a fire training academy. There is no research detailing whether there are...

Background: Increased internal body temperature during dehydration can be accompanied by water-electrolyte imbalances, higher levels of lactate during and after physical exertion, and changes in blood volume. Adequate hydration with carbohydrate-electrolyte fluids during physical activity can prevent dehydration and delay the onset of fatigue, all...

Objective: Police tactical group (PTG) occupational requirements are known to expose officers to high levels of physical, mental, and emotional stressors. As such, selection courses must ensure candidates are not only physically, but mentally and emotionally competent. To assess personnel for suitability likewise requires a holistic approach; weara...

This study aimed to identify the most important, frequently performed, and physically demanding tasks performed by Brazilian firefighters and to identify tasks that could be used to assess physical fitness. A subjective task analysis was conducted. Five hundred twenty-four firefighters (84% male; 16% females) responded to an online survey and rated...

Change-of-direction (COD) speed and ability could assist a firefighter moving about the fire ground more efficiently. There has been limited investigations of COD speed in firefighter trainees, and what measures of fitness could contribute to faster performance in a test such as the Illinois agility test (IAT), which measures longer COD speed. This...

Objectives: Emergency department (ED) teams frequently perform under conditions of high stress. Stress exposure simulation (SES) is specifically designed to train recognition and management of stress responses under these conditions. Current approaches to design and delivery of SES in emergency medicine are based on principles derived from other c...

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), consisting of deadlift, standing power throw, hand release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, leg tuck or plank, and 2-mile run, is the United States Army’s new fitness test. The ACFT is designed to measure multiple fitness components required to perform combat tasks. One critical task is the tactical foot march (TFM),...

Lack of sleep can affect the health and performance of firefighters. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the global prevalence of sleep disorders and poor sleep quality among firefighters and reported associated factors. Four academic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase) were systematically searched from January 1,...

Specialist police tactical groups (PTGs) are involved in situations that extend beyond the capability of general duties police and can include responding to active shooter incidents. Due to the nature of their tasks, these officers typically carry and wear additional equipment which can impart an increased physical cost, for which the officers must...

Lopes dos Santos, M, Thompson, M, Dinyer-McNeely, T, Torrence, T, Lockie, RG, Orr, RM, and Dawes, JJ. Differences and Relationships Between Push-up and Sit-up Variations Among Male Law Enforcement Cadets. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-The purpose of this study was to explore variation-dependent differences in push-up and sit-up tests, as...

Kukić, F, Janković, R, Dawes, JJ, Orr, R, and Koropanovski, N. Effects of occupational load on the acceleration, change of direction speed, and anaerobic power of police officers. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-Police officers engage in movements such as foot pursuits, sudden directional changes, or prolonged sprinting while wearing occup...

Campbell, P, Maupin, D, Lockie, RG, Dawes, JJ, Simas, V, Canetti, E, Schram, B, and Orr, R. Evaluating the variability between 20-m multistage fitness test estimating equations in law enforcement recruits. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-The 20-m multistage fitness test (20MSFT) is commonly used by law enforcement agencies to measure aerob...

Mounted police officers are subject to unique occupational tasks which may lead to unique injuries. This study’s aim was to describe policing injuries suffered by mounted police officers contextualized through comparison to non-mounted officers. Injury data from 01 July 2014 to 30 June 2020 were provided from a state policing agency’s incident repo...

Search and rescue (SAR) personnel may be required to wear and carry external loads during a task. These external loads may be carried in austere environments across unpredictable terrain. Like other tactical occupations (military, law enforcement, fire, and rescue), SAR loads can range from 20 to 45 kg. Not only are these loads known to cause a var...

The Biddle Physical Ability Test (BPAT) was developed to identify candidates who possess the physical ability to become structural firefighters. The test must be completed in ≤ 9:34 min:s before a candidate is admitted to an academy. Some community colleges offer semester-long training classes for candidates. This study analyzed whether candidates...

This study investigated traditional training (TT) versus ability-based training (ABT) in custody assistant recruits. Retrospective analysis was conducted on two recruit classes who completed an 8-week academy. The TT group (18 males, 13 females) followed a physical training model where recruits completed the same exercises with the same intensity;...

This study investigated body composition and fitness test relationships from firefighters participating in a health and wellness program and categorized firefighters according to population norms relative to sex and age. Data from 270 firefighters (men = 258, women = 12) were analyzed, including body composition (body mass index [BMI], body fat per...

Law enforcement officers routinely face unpredictable scenarios that may threaten the public, their colleagues, or themselves. In such situations, officers may be required to use firearms, with shooting accuracy becoming crucial. This literature review aimed to identify, synthesize, and report on research investigating factors that affect marksmans...

The leg tuck was replaced by the plank in the Army Combat Fitness Test, in part because it was felt it discriminated against women. There is limited leg tuck research, including between-sex comparisons and relationships with other fitness tests. This study investigated the leg tuck in a firefighter trainee population (274 males, 31 females). Archiv...

Background: The number of completed sit-ups in a given period of time is a commonly used assessment to measure trunk endurance in tactical populations. This study investigated factorial and construct validity of three different durations of a sit-up test—30 s, 60 s, and 120 s; Methods: Anthropometric characteristics and sit-ups performed for 30, 60...

Law enforcement academies, designed to prepare recruits for their prospective career, represent periods of high physical and mental stress, potentially contributing to recruits’ injuries. Managing stress via monitoring training loads may mitigate injuries while ensuring adequate preparation. However, it is vital to first understand an academy’s typ...

The risks and incidence rates of musculoskeletal injuries among military personnel are high, and the importance of physiotherapy in treating these injuries is well established. However, what is less clear is whether the timing of commencement of physiotherapy treatment affects musculoskeletal injury outcomes in military personnel. This lack of clar...

This study investigated the predictive abilities of fitness tests relative to academy graduation in firefighter trainees. Archival fitness test data from 305 trainees were analyzed, including: Illinois agility test (IAT); push-ups; pull-ups; leg tucks; multistage fitness test; 4.54-kg backwards overhead medicine ball throw (BOMBT); 10-repetition ma...

The aim of this scoping review was to investigate the impact of footwear on worker physical task performance and injury risk. The review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews protocol and registered in the Open Science Framework. Key search terms were entered into five aca...

Dawes, JJ, Lopes dos Santos, M, Kornhauser, C, Holmes, RJ, Alvar, BA, Lockie, RG, and Orr, RM. Longitudinal changes in health and fitness measures among state patrol officers by sex. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-Research suggests that police officers lose fitness as a result of their policing vocation with occupational factors like stre...

Background: Health and wellness programs can be implemented at police departments. Little research has detailed the characteristics of officers within these programs. Objective: To analyse the health and fitness data of officers involved in a health and wellness program from 2018-2020, and to profile the officers involved relative to population...

Background An effective military force is required to be agile, capable, efficient, and potent. Injuries to military personnel interrupt active-duty service and can detract from overall capability. These injuries are associated with a high individual and organizational burden, with lost work time and financial costs—all problematic for the ongoing...

Background Injuries within law enforcement are a significant issue as they increase organisational costs and workforce strain. As one of the biggest risk factors of future injury is previous injury, minimising injuries suffered during academy has multiple beneficial and long-term effects, including a healthier and fitter police force. The purpose o...

Lockie, R, Dawes, JJ, Sakura, T, Schram, B, and Orr, RM. Relationships between physical fitness assessment measures and a workplace task-specific physical assessment among police officers: a retrospective cohort study. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-Police officers are required to perform physically demanding occupational tasks and, as su...

Introduction and hypothesis Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in the general female population. It was hypothesised that Australian female military personnel and veterans would experience similar types and prevalence of LUTS as the broader Australian female population. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was utilised to explore t...

Background Specialist police perform high-risk tasks and are required to have, and maintain, a high level of fitness. The aims of this study were to profile the strength of a specialist police unit and to investigate whether this profile remained constant over an 18-month period. Methods Retrospective data for 47 special operations police officers...

Several occupations require workers to spend long periods of time driving road vehicles. This occupational task is associated with musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this review was to collate, synthesize, and analyze research reporting on musculoskeletal disorders associated with occupational driving, in order to develop a volume of evidenc...

This study explored whether Year 1 school children exposed to a 12-week classroom-based gross motor program progressed differently than Year 1 children undertaking their regular school program in motor proficiency, mathematics, and reading outcomes. Fifty-five Australian Year 1 school children (25 boys, 30 girls, mean age 6.77 ± 0.40 years) were ex...

Fire academy training classes may have trainees with a range of different fitness capabilities. Documentation of trainee fitness could indicate the need for flexibility in physical training emphases. Therefore, data from six academy classes (males = 274; females = 31) were analyzed, including: Illinois agility test (IAT), push-ups, pull-ups, leg tu...

Background: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was a sudden unknown stressor that could cause fear among people. Police officers were in the front lines, often unknowingly in direct contact with infected individuals, thus fear of getting infected (i.e., fear of COVID-19) could be higher in this population. Police students are preparing for the job of...

hange-of-direction speed (CODS) directly impacts success in sports, police, and military performance. Movements requiring CODS are often preceded by aerobic or anaerobic running. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of maximal and submaximal anaerobic and aerobic running on subsequent CODS performance. A sample of 50 police students (42%...

Lockie, RG, Dawes, JJ, Dulla, JM, and Orr, RM. Extending research on law enforcement academy graduation and fitness: A research note on receiver operating characteristic curves. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-Fitness level contributes to a law enforcement recruit's ability to graduate from a training academy. However, limited research has...

This research analyzed archival health and wellness program data (2018: 169 males, 39 females; 2019: 194 males, 43 females) to document police officer lipid profiles, and correlate lipids with fitness. Bloodwork included total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG). Fitness data...

Introduction Female soldiers comprise an important component of any modern army, yet little research has been performed to investigate differences in the profiles of injuries reported by qualified female and male army personnel. Aim The aim of this study was to compare injury rates and patterns between female and male soldiers of the Australian Re...

California law enforcement recruits must perform a body drag before they graduate academy. While this task may be challenging for smaller recruits, no research has analyzed height and body mass relationships with the body drag. Data from 643 recruits (542 males, 101 females) who completed the drag in the final weeks of academy were analyzed. The re...

Background Female soldiers form an integral part of any modern defence force. Previous reports have highlighted that female soldiers report injuries at higher rates than male personnel. One possible reason for this is an actual difference in underlying injury rates, purported to be due to several factors, including levels of fitness. The aim of thi...

Background: Law enforcement is a dangerous, stressful, and health-threatening occupation. This study investigated the association between demographic factors including sex, age, and types of law enforcement occupation and described self-reported barriers to healthy and enjoyable diets within a cohort of law enforcement personnel. Methods: This m...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological demands placed on Australian police officers carrying out common operational tasks. Methods: Forty participants (n = 40) from an Australian police force (mean age = 33.58 ± 7.78 years, mean height = 177.70 ± 7.28 cm, mean weight = 85.68 ± 14.52 kg, mean years of service: 6.74...

Objectives: This study investigated whether intellectual potential, personality, and physical fitness at recruitment predicted study success in police students (future officers), and whether biological sex influenced these factors. Materials and Methods: The intellectual potential (high school success and Serbian language test), personality traits...

Police officers require a certain amount of occupational fitness to successfully perform physically demanding tasks. As such, trainees are required to undergo training to develop their ability to perform such tasks. The physical competency test (PCT) is a 400 m obstacle course consisting of key police occupational physical tasks used to evaluate a...

The ability to perform under extreme pressure is one of the most sought-after qualities in both sports and tactical (military, law enforcement, fire, and rescue, etc.) occupations. While tactical performance relies on both physical and mental capabilities to achieve a desired outcome, it is often hampered by the stressful environments in which thes...

An essential job task for law enforcement officers is a body drag, where they must drag a person from a hazardous environment. In California, a 9.75-m body drag with a 74.84-kg dummy must be completed within 28 s to graduate academy. This mass is less than the average US adult, which may suggest it should be increased. This has not happened due to...

Firefighters work in strenuous conditions for prolonged periods wearing up to 20 kg of personal protective equipment. This often contributes to significant heat and cardiovascular strain. This study examined the relationships between psychological and physical measures taken prior to undertaking a 15 min firefighting task, and the occurrence of hea...

Law enforcement agencies often test the fitness performance and body composition of incoming recruits. This study investigated the relationships between whole and segmental body composition, and fitness tests in law enforcement recruits. A retrospective analysis of 72 male and 11 female recruits was performed. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)...

A fracture, being an acquired rupture or break of the bone, is a significant and debilitating injury commonly seen among athletes and military personnel. Stress fractures, which have a repetitive stress aetiology, are highly prevalent among military populations, especially those undergoing training. The primary aim of this review is to identify non...

Lockie, RG, Orr, RM, and Dawes, JJ. Slowing the path of time: Age-related and normative fitness testing data for police officers from a health and wellness program. J Strength Cond Res 36(3): 747-756, 2022-This study investigated the effects of age on the fitness of police officers participating in a health and wellness program. Normative percentil...

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a 10-week training programme on the anthropometric characteristics and physical abilities of obese and overweight police trainees and officers. The following anthropometric characteristics were measured: Body mass (BM), body height (BH), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-heigh...

Civilian jailer (CJ) recruits may not complete fitness testing within their hiring process. As certain job tasks in custody/jail facilities can be physically demanding (e.g., inmate restraint), better health and fitness should help a recruit graduate from a CJ academy and be prepared for the occupation. This study investigated the health and fitnes...

Many essential occupational tasks performed by law enforcement officers are physically demanding. There are numerous challenges with developing and maintaining physical fitness within this population. These challenges can lead to a steady decline in health and fitness over the occupational life span and have a devastating impact on officer safety a...

Background: An effective military force is required to be agile, capable, efficient, and potent. Injuries to military personnel interrupt active-duty service and can detract from overall capability. These injuries are associated with a high individual and organizational burden, with lost work time and financial costs - all problematic for the ongoi...

Background: Female soldiers form an integral part of any modern defence force. Previous reports have highlighted that female soldiers report injuries at higher rates than male personnel. One possible reason for this is an actual difference in underlying injury rates, purported to be due to several factors, including levels of fitness. The aim of th...

Tactical personnel (including military, law enforcement, and fire and rescue) are responsible for ensuring national and public safety. Dietary intake is an important consideration to support optimal health and performance. The aims of this systematic review were to: (1) describe the reported free-living dietary intake (energy and macronutrients) of...

This article provides updated information comparing minimalist running shoes (MRS) to conventional running shoes (CRS). Our previous review found that, compared with running in CRS, transitioning to MRS resulted in lower energy cost and less ground contact occurring at the forefoot, resulting in lower impact forces. There was some increased risk of...