{"id":34387,"date":"2019-03-19T19:48:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T19:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/19\/gender-neutral-fitness-test-for-all-air-force-considering-running-based-formula\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:05:14","slug":"gender-neutral-fitness-test-for-all-air-force-considering-running-based-formula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/03\/19\/gender-neutral-fitness-test-for-all-air-force-considering-running-based-formula\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender-neutral fitness test for all? Air Force considering running-based formula"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force is developing a new formula that it hopes will provide a more accurate measure of fitness vs fatness \u2014 and could possibly result in a gender-neutral fitness test<\/a> for all airmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new formula will measure airmen\u2019s aerobic fitness against their body composition<\/a> to come up with a fitness score, Neil Baumgartner, chief of the Air Force\u2019s exercise science unit<\/a>, said Tuesday at a meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baumgartner said the military\u2019s focus on weight loss is a failed approach \u2014 one that it needs to get away from. Instead, aerobic fitness is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an “inextricable link between aerobic fitness and body composition,\u201d Baumgartner said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to teach our airmen that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baumgartner wants to measure an airman\u2019s \u201cVO2 max\u201d score \u2014 a fitness standard that measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use while exercising intently \u2014 while running, and making that the numerator in the formula. For example, he said someone running a mile and a half in 10 minutes and 23 seconds could have a VO2 max score of 50, which is on the more fit end of the scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the denominator, he suggested the Air Force divide an airman\u2019s waist circumference by his height. An airman in that hypothetical situation who had a 35-inch waist and was 70 inches tall would end up with a denominator of 0.5. And with a VO2 max score of 50 in the numerator, and a denominator of 0.5 would result in a score of 100, in this scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This score would result in a \u201cfitness-fatness index” that would measure the link between aerobic fitness and body composition, he said. It also would take differing statures into account so very tall airman would not be at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more importantly, Baumgartner said, it would be a gender-neutral test \u2014 one that could possibly apply to all airmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\t