(33) BEHAVIORAL EXERCISE MOTIVATION IS MORE ASSOCIATED WITH ACFT SUCCESS THAN BODY COMPOSITION IN COLLEGIATE ARMY ROTC CADETS

Introduction: Over a four-year pre-service period, collegiate Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets develop occupational and physical preparedness, evaluated through the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), which consists of six events determining physical performance capacity derived from modern warfare demands. This progression can be influenced through both behavioral and physiological aspects such as physical activity motivation and body composition. Though these aspects have historically shown association with ACFT success, they are commonly investigated separately. Thus, concurrent investigation can clarify which avenue may better relate to ACFT success in cadets during a pivotal preparatory period. Purpose: To determine behavioral exercise motivation and body composition measurements most associated with ACFT performance in collegiate Army ROTC cadets. Methods: Twenty-nine male (20.8±2.6years, 83.0±13.6kg, 178.2±7.2cm) and six female (20.2±1.1years, 64.5±8.1kg, 141.9±17.8cm) collegiate Army ROTC cadets provided voluntary informed consent, completed physical training logs detailing ROTC and personal exercise instances, the BREQ-3 questionnaire evaluating intrinsic and extrinsic exercise motivation, In-Body testing for assessment of total body and regional body composition measures, and reported total and individual event raw ACFT results. Pearson’s bivariate correlations were used to determine associations between questionnaire responses, body composition measures, and ACFT results. Results: Moderate positive correlations were identified for total ACFT result and exercise instances outside of ROTC physical training, and BREQ-3 internal motivation and integrated regulation (r: 0.478-0.693; all p≤0.033). Additionally, internal motivation was moderately negatively correlated with ACFT sprint-drag-carry and 2-mile run results (r: -0.509-0.529; both p≤0.022). However, no body composition measure significantly correlated with total ACFT or sprint-drag-carry (all r≤-0.211; p≥0.371). Conclusions: These findings suggest that ROTC cadets with greater internal motivation to exercise and engage in personal exercise outside of mandated physical training may in-turn have better ACFT success. Additionally, behavioral evaluation regarding exercise motivation may serve as a crucial aspect when identifying occupational physical performance capabilities in a pre-service military cohort. Practical Applications: Historically, associations between body composition measures and ACFT performance have been established; however, these results appear to challenge that established notion. Instead, brief questionnaires regarding the evaluation of tactical personnel’s physical training habits and exercise motivation can serve as a practical and cost-effective screening tool for performance capacity. As such, these widely implementable and easily interpreted questionnaires can provide interventional information into behavioral barriers impacting physical training adherence. Acknowledgements: None