Impact of CrossFit Workouts on Different Aspects of Physical Fitness, with Emphasis on Military Fitness: Narrative Review

CrossFit is an exercise program designed to provide general and inclusive physical fitness and improves fitness in all 10 areas including cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, muscle endurance and strength, power, flexibility, speed, coordination and agility. This is especially important for the military population, which must be physically fit to respond to specific occupational and combat missions.Findings show that the CrossFit program and other functional fitness programs present the U.S. Army with unique opportunities to improve Soldiers’ fitness levels as well as trigger the acute cardiovascular training response and a significant increase in fitness (ie, aerobic and anaerobic performance). Research has shown that CrossFit workouts significantly increases the bone mineral content of legs and trunk in men and women.The results of limited studies in CrossFit workouts show that this exercise improves the physical fitness of the participants. According to the available documentation, if CrossFit workouts is done with the proper intensity, duration, and monitoring, its physiological changes may be helpful for the combat forces. Carbohydrate diets are particularly important, according to recent studies, CrossFit workouts with low-carbohydrate diets leads to reduced body fat and with high-carbohydrate diets result in improving performance. Studies showed that Crossfit workouts are associated with improved intrinsic motivation to improve the enjoyment of exercise, satisfaction, motivation, mood, and reduce stress. Injuries related to CrossFit workouts have a similar or even lower profile than other sports and improve overall fitness the same or even better than traditional distance running and strength training. Therefore, available studies, it can be said that CrossFit workouts along with other physical fitness programs may help military combat readiness, but further studies are needed.