Step Testing as an Assessment of Physical Fitness on Polaris Submarines

Abstract The fitness of 22 volunteers was assessed at the beginning and end of an SSBN deterrent submarine patrol using the Modified Harvard and Step Up to Physical Fitness tests. This provided a means of evaluating both the value of step tests and the fitness of a sample of the crew. The overall level of fitness of the group was high and did not change significantly during the patrol. The step tests appear suitable for the purposes for which they are employed, but unsuitable for the assessment of extremes of fitness. They could be replaced by a simpler, shorter and safer test.