Comparison of the Effect of the Ranger and Commando Courses on Physical Readiness and Body Composition of Cadets at Imam Ali Military University

Passing the hard courses is one of the most important parts of military education. At present, there is no accurate information about the impact of Ranger and Commando courses on physical readiness indexes and body composition index of the cadets. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of Ranger and Commando courses on physical readiness indexes and body composition index of the cadets at Military University. In this study, 75 cadets were selected randomly and divided into three groups: Ranger training group (25) and Commando training group (25) and a control group (25). Then they were compared in two stages of pre-test and post-test. The participants of the two groups took part in courses of Ranger and Commando for eight weeks, including 6 days a week. They were tested with a 1.6-mile running test for aerobic performance, a two-way running for agility measurement, and a sit up and pull up to measure muscular endurance. Body composition index was also obtained by dividing the weight into kilograms by height to meter. Both groups showed a significant increase in strength and endurance of shoulder girdle muscle, abdominal muscles, flexibility and agility and showed significant reduction in weight, body composition index in compare to control group. There was no significant difference in intra-group and inter-group variations between the Ranger and Commando training groups. The findings of this study showed that eight weeks of Ranger and Commando training improved aerobic performance, agility and muscular endurance, and body composition index of cadets.