Dössegger Alain, Gsponer Thomas, Flück Martin, Protte Christian, Wyss Thomas, Häusler Eric, Gerber Markus, Faude Oliver
Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen, Magglingen, Switzerland.
Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Front Sports Act Living. 2025 May 21;7:1594714. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1594714. eCollection 2025.
Tactical athletes of Special Operations Forces personnel face diverse, high-risk demands-from explosive power actions and maximal strength tasks to prolonged endurance efforts and rapid decision making under stress. This study aimed to develop a multidimensional fitness profile for these tactical athletes by defining Critical Success Factors and translating them into measurable performance indicators, then comparing Swiss Special Operations Forces operators and candidates with sports athletes.
In a cross sectional, observational design, 262 male participants completed a tailored battery of laboratory and field tests: 69 Special Operations Forces operators, 175 Special Operations Forces candidates, and 18 athletes from disciplines such as decathlon, Thai boxing, wrestling, and ice hockey. Practitioner interviews established key mission critical factors, which were operationalized into tests of reaction time, power, strength, severe intensity muscular and cardiopulmonary work capacity, and aerobic endurance. To evaluate group and unit effects, we compared two Bayesian linear regression models: a baseline model (m₀) and a model (m₁) that included group as a fixed factor. Evidence for a group effect was quantified by the Bayes Factor and Probability of direction, where >90% is considered equal to an alpha level of 0.05, thus a non-negligible effect.
Weekly training volume averaged 8.5 h for operators, 6.9 h for candidates, and 9.5 h for athletes. SOF operators and candidates demonstrated fitness levels comparable to sports athletes. Mean jumping distance was 2.43 m, relative hand-grip strength 1.51 kg/kg body mass, deadlift with 100 kg was 20 repetitions, and maximal oxygen uptake measured 54 ml/kg/min. Candidates recorded faster computer based reaction times than operators, while operators outperformed candidates and athletes in a close-quarters combat simulation. Both candidates and operators completed fewer 100 kg deadlift repetitions compared to the mean of the athletes.
Swiss Special Operations Forces operators and candidates demonstrate fitness profiles on par with sports athletes across multiple domains, validating their designation as tactical athletes. The normative values and test battery offer a tool for identifying individual strengths and weaknesses, guiding targeted training programs, and informing selection and readiness assessments. Future research should explore longitudinal interventions and predictive models of operational performance.
特种作战部队人员中的战术运动员面临着多样的高风险需求——从爆发力动作和最大力量任务到长时间耐力训练以及在压力下的快速决策。本研究旨在通过定义关键成功因素并将其转化为可测量的绩效指标，从而为这些战术运动员制定一个多维度的体能概况，然后将瑞士特种作战部队的操作员和候选人与体育运动员进行比较。
在一项横断面观察性设计中，262名男性参与者完成了一系列量身定制的实验室和现场测试：69名特种作战部队操作员、175名特种作战部队候选人以及18名来自十项全能、泰拳、摔跤和冰球等项目的运动员。通过与从业者访谈确定了关键任务关键因素，并将其转化为反应时间、力量、强度、高强度肌肉和心肺工作能力以及有氧耐力的测试。为了评估组间和单位效应，我们比较了两个贝叶斯线性回归模型：一个基线模型（m₀）和一个将组作为固定因素的模型（m₁）。通过贝叶斯因子和方向概率对组效应的证据进行量化，其中>90%被认为等同于α水平为0.05，因此具有不可忽略的效应。
操作员每周平均训练量为8.5小时，候选人为6.9小时，运动员为9.5小时。特种作战部队的操作员和候选人展示出与体育运动员相当的体能水平。平均跳远距离为2.43米，相对握力为1.51千克/千克体重，100千克的硬拉重复次数为20次，最大摄氧量为54毫升/千克/分钟。候选人在基于计算机的反应时间测试中比操作员更快，而在近距离战斗模拟中，操作员的表现优于候选人和运动员。与运动员的平均值相比，候选人和操作员完成的100千克硬拉重复次数都更少。
瑞士特种作战部队的操作员和候选人在多个领域展示出与体育运动员相当的体能概况，证实了他们作为战术运动员的称号。这些标准值和测试组合提供了一种工具，用于识别个人的优势和劣势，指导有针对性的训练计划，并为选拔和准备情况评估提供信息。未来的研究应探索纵向干预措施和作战绩效预测模型。
