Defense

Something doesn’t add up: A new long-term study shows that Swiss conscripts tend to overestimate their own athletic performance. (File photo)

Keystone

Keystone-SDA

08.09.2026, 11:19

A long-term study examined the physical fitness of approximately 700,000 women subject to military service and volunteers between 2006 and 2024, the Federal Office of Sport (Baspo) announced on Tuesday.

The study was conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport in Magglingen (EHSM) in collaboration with the Swiss Army and the University of Zurich. Its findings were published in the scientific journal *BMJ Open*.

The results show a slight but steady decline in physical fitness among young men. Specifically, the average score for men on the Army Fitness Test (FTA) fell from 74.2 to 70.4 points, while the percentage of those who classified themselves as “fit” rose from 40 to 56 percent.

Advancing age and the pandemic as contributing factors

The researchers attribute this discrepancy to the fact that people tend to overestimate when surveyed. They also attributed part of the decline to structural factors, such as the rising age of recruitment and restrictions on movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Army’s fitness test consists of five exercises: standing long jump, medicine ball throw, core strength test, one-leg stand, and endurance run. These skills are often not trained specifically enough in today’s popular sports.

The researchers observed the opposite trend among women who volunteered for military service. Their average score on the fitness test improved from 45.4 to 49.9 points during the study period. The percentage of them classified as “fit” also increased from 50 to 64 percent.

However, the study authors point out that this is a selected group that tends to be motivated by sports.