
The Navy's PRT includes a body composition assessment, sit-reach distance, time for a 1.5-mile run, number of sit-ups performed in 2 minutes, and number of push-ups performed in 2 minutes. As an adjunct to setting standards for physical fitness and body composition, studies were carried out that investigated relationships between performance on the PRT items and performance of materials handling tasks. Navy's biannual Physical Readiness Test (PRT) is taken to be an indicator of a sailor's readiness for combat. DOD percent BF goals were set at 20 percent BF for men and 26 percent BF for women.īody Composition And Physical Performance This coefficient has since been increased to 0.85. The directive required that fat measurement techniques must have a correlation coefficient of 0.75 or better with percent BF from underwater weighing. The directive left the task of developing the most appropriate methodology for BF determination to the individual services. Third, control of BF is important in maintaining the general health and well-being of armed forces personnel. Second, control of body fat (BF) is necessary to maintain appropriate military appearance. This statement implies a relationship between fatness and military performance. The directive also indicated that there are three concerns relating to the need for establishing a weight control policy: first, body composition is an integral part of physical fitness and is, therefore, essential for maintaining combat readiness. The military services were directed to determine body composition and fat standards consistent with the mission of the services. Part of the policy expressed in that directive was that the ''determining factor in deciding whether or not a service member is overweight is the member's percent body fat." (DOD Directive 1308.1, p. In 1981, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued directive 1308.1 (DOD directive 1308.1, 1981).

Navy and the methods of body composition assessment in use by the military services today. This paper will discuss two topics: the development of standards for body composition in the U.S.
