Key numbers
1,104
Active adult male firefighters studied
10 years
Follow-up
Who was studied and what was measured
The study included 1,104 active adult male firefighters and followed them for 10 years. It measured ordinary push-up capacity and looked at future cardiovascular events.
What the study found
Among the 1,104 men there were 37 cardiovascular events over 10 years. Comparing 41 or more push-ups with 0 to 10, the unadjusted incidence-rate ratio was 0.04 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.36). In the model adjusted for age and body mass index, the hazard ratio for that same comparison was 0.14 (95% CI 0.02 to 1.22; p=0.07), so that adjusted comparison was not statistically conclusive. Only ordinary push-ups were studied.
Why Systematic cites it
It is the Bedrock Study for the Tempo Push-Up on the Systematic science page, kept with its limitations stated. Systematic uses it to show that push-up capacity can carry meaningful functional and health information.
It is directional health-outcome evidence in active adult men. It is an association in one group, not proof that push-ups cause better heart health.
What it does not show
Everyone studied was a male firefighter, so the results may not carry over to women or to other groups. It is not used as a norm for women.
It is not a scoring source for the 3/0/1 Tempo Push-Up, and a Systematic Tempo Push-Up score should not be read as a prediction of anyone's own cardiovascular risk.
The evidence
Each cited source is labeled according to how it supports the particular claim on this page. Direct test evidence, underlying-capacity findings and population reference values are distinguished from Systematic-defined protocols and standards. Historical development notes are retained internally rather than presented as public evidence. A study of an underlying capacity is never presented as validation of the Systematic test itself.
-
Underlying-capacity evidence
Yang et al. (2019). Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men. JAMA Network Open.
What it found. In 1,104 active male firefighters (37 cardiovascular events over 10 years), 41 or more push-ups versus 0-10 gave an unadjusted incidence-rate ratio of 0.04; adjusted for age and body mass index the hazard ratio was 0.14 with a confidence interval including no difference.
What it does not show. It studied men who were firefighters, so it is not a norm for women, not a scoring source for the 3/0/1 Tempo Push-Up, and not a way to predict an individual's cardiovascular risk.
The Systematic Healthspan Assessment is a physical baseline. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not estimate a biological age, a disease risk or a lifespan.