Why isn there a score adjustment for people taking the revised fitness test at higher altitudes?
Exercise research indicates that a score adjustment for people taking the revised Air Force Physical Fitness Test at higher altitudes is not needed. The VO2 max or aerobic fitness, the factor we are measuring with the 1.5 mile run, is not measurably altered in a non-acclimated member testing from sea level up to 7,000 feet. During the first two to three weeks of living and exercising at higher altitudes, people experience lung, circulation and cellular improvements that allow them to perform aerobically at levels comparable to sea level. It should also be noted that the earliest an Air Force member would have to take the revised physical fitness test is six weeks after a Permanent Change of Station to a higher altitude base. This gives members adequate time to acclimate themselves to the higher altitudes and continue their training. Members should also remain as fit as possible prior to a PCS so they can acclimate themselves easier to a higher altitude base. After arriving at a new bas
