Physical Fitness in United States and Austrian Military Personnel

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Abstract
A difference between the United States and Austria in number of deaths from heart attacks among men 35 to 44 years of age aroused considerable interest with respect to the role of physical activity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the level of physical fitness of younger men, ie, 18 to 29 years of age, in the US Air Force and the Austrian Army. A marked difference in endurance performance was observed on a 12-minute field test of performance irrespective of the stage of training or the age, even though the Austrian soldiers weighed more and a comparable percentage of them smoked cigarettes. The results indicate that the 12-minute field test is a good substitute for the laboratory-determined maximal oxygen consumption if the subjects are well motivated.