Page 60 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2016

Figure 1 World Kettlebell Club founder and trainer demonstrates the proper kettlebell swing technique used in the study.

(A) Starting position, front view. (B) Starting position, side view.

(C) Ending position, front view. (D) Ending position, side view.

Results
mission requirements. Therefore, data from only four of
Before training, 30 participants were sequentially as- the subjects in the traditional PT group were statistically
signed to one of three training groups based on their analyzed for day 2 testing. Figure 2 shows changes in the
1.5-mile run times. Each group consisted of 10 subjects primary test variables. There were no statistically sig-
(five men and five women). After 10 weeks of training, nificant changes in 1.5-mile run time between or within
20 participants completed the study; the attrition rate groups (p > .05). The 40-yard dash significantly improved
was 33.3%. Only data from the subjects who completed within the KB swing group (p ≤ .05) and KB + run group
both pretesting and pos-testing were included in the sta- (p ≤ .05). There were no significant changes noted in the
tistical analysis. There were no baseline significant dif- traditional PT group (p > .05) or between groups for the
ferences between groups in any of the pretest variables. 40-yard dash. Only the KB + run significantly increased
Table 3 lists all three study groups’ before and after an- the number of 1-minute maximal push-ups (p ≤ .05).
thropometric and physical performance data.
Mean HR (Table 4) of the KB group was higher than
Three airmen in the traditional PT group were unable to that of the PT group (p = .0495), but there were no dif-
complete day 2 of posttesting (1.5-mile run, push-ups, ferences between KB and KB + run (p = .071) or KB +
and sit-ups) because of work schedule restrictions and/or run and PT (p = .94). Peak HR was significantly higher

44 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 16, Edition 4/Winter 2016