Prioritizing Muscle Mass Over Body Size Enhances Police Recruit Performance

Recent research conducted by Edith Cowan University (ECU) indicates that age may be less relevant than body composition in determining a police recruit’s physical performance. The study emphasizes that factors such as muscle mass, body fat percentage, and bone density play a more significant role in physical readiness than simply the number of years lived.

Led by Master's student Vanessa Sutton, the research analyzed how musculoskeletal characteristics influence training outcomes among new police recruits. Published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, the findings reveal that recruits with higher muscle mass tend to perform better in physical training exercises.

Police recruitment standards typically include minimum health benchmarks that candidates must meet to qualify for entry, encompassing physical tests like the beep-test assessing cardiovascular fitness, along with agility, strength, and power evaluations. Despite meeting these standards, a notable proportion — up to 20% — of recruits sustain injuries that prevent them from completing training, underlining the need for a more tailored approach.

Sutton highlighted that traditional measures like Body Mass Index (BMI) are unreliable predictors of physical performance. Instead, individual body composition metrics provide better insight into a recruit’s capabilities. Her findings suggest that greater muscle mass correlates with improved performance in the demanding physical activities required during police training.

This research opens the door for personalized training strategies that focus on body composition rather than age alone. Implementing pre-training assessments can help tailor physical development programs, reducing injury risk and enhancing overall recruit readiness.

Rulan Carr, Principal of the WA Police Force Academy, expressed pride in collaborating with ECU, emphasizing that integrating evidence-based approaches into training programs can promote injury prevention and support recruits in reaching their full potential. Ultimately, the study advocates that successful police careers are achievable at any age or body type when training is customized to individual physical profiles.

For further details, see the full study: Vanessa R. Sutton et al., "The Association of Body Composition and Musculoskeletal Characteristics with Police Recruit Performance," Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 2025. [DOI: 10.3390/jfmk10020132]