IntroductionThe purpose was to quantify physical performance in men and women during British Army Junior Entry (Army-JE), British Army Standard Entry (Army-SE) and Royal Air Force (RAF) basic training (BT).DesignProspective longitudinal study.Methods381 participants ((339 men and 42 women) n=141 Army-JE, n=132 Army-SE, n=108 RAF) completed a 2 km run, medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP), pre-BT and post-BT. To examine changes in pre-BT to post-BT physical test performance, for each course, paired Student t-test and Wilcoxon test were applied to normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively, with effect sizes reported as Cohen’s D and with rank biserial correlations, respectively. A one-way between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) (or Welch ANOVA for non-normally distributed data) compared performance between quartiles based on test performance pre-BT. Where the main tests statistic, p value and effect sizes identified likely effect of quartile, post hoc comparisons were made using Games-Howell tests with Tukey’s p value. Data are presented as mean±SD, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.ResultsDuring BT, 2 km run time improved by 13±46 s (−2.1%±8.1%), 30±64 s (−4.8%±12.3%) and 24±27 s (−4.5%±5.1%) for Army-JE, Army-SE and RAF, respectively (all p<0.005). MBT distance increased by 0.27±0.28 m (6.8%±7.0%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and 0.07±0.46 m (2.3%±10.9%) for Army-SE (p=0.040), but decreased by 0.08±0.27 m (−1.4%±6.0%) for RAF (p=0.002). MTP force increased by 80±281 n (10.8%±27.6%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and did not change for Army-SE (−36±295 n, −0.7%±20.6%, p=0.144) or RAF (−9±208 n, 1.0±17.0, p=0.603). For all tests and cohorts, participants in the lowest quartile of pre-BT performance scores demonstrated greater improvements, compared with participants in the highest quartile (except Army-JE MBT, ∆% change similar between all quartiles).ConclusionsChanges in physical performance were observed for the three fitness tests following the different BT courses, and recruits with the lowest strength and aerobic fitness experienced greatest improvements.

To quantify the accuracy of five equations to predict the metabolic cost of load carriage under ecologically valid military speed and load combinations. Thirty-nine male serving infantry soldiers completed thirteen, 20-minute bouts of overground load carriage comprising of two speeds (2.5 and 4.8 km•h-1) and six carried equipment load combinations (25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 kg), with 22 also completing a bout at 5.5 km•h-1 carrying 40 kg. For each speed-load combination the metabolic cost was measured using the Douglas bag technique, and compared to the metabolic cost predicted from five equations; Givoni & Goldman, 1971 (GG), Pandolf et al. 1997 (PAN), Santee et al. 2001 (SAN), American College of Sports Medicine 2013 (ACSM), and the Minimum-Mechanics Model (MMM), Ludlow & Weyand, 2017. Comparisons between measured and predicted metabolic cost were made using repeated measures ANOVA and Limits of Agreement. All predictive equations, except for PAN, underpredicted the metabolic cost for all speed-load combinations (p<0.001). The PAN equation accurately predicted metabolic cost for 40 and 50 kg at 4.8 km•h-1 (p>0.05), under-predicted metabolic cost for all 2.5 km•h-1 speed-load combinations as well as 25 and 30 kg at 4.8 km•h-1 , and over-predicted metabolic cost for 60 and 70 kg at 4.8 km•h-1 (p<0.001). Most equations (GG, SAN, ACSM, MMM) under-predicted metabolic cost while one (PAN) accurately predicted at moderate loads and speeds, but over-predicted or under-predicted at other speedload combinations, indicating that caution should be applied when utilising these predictive equations to model military load carriage tasks.

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BACKGROUND:The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) works on behalf of each National Health Service (NHS) Ambulance Trust in England to strengthen national resilience and improve patient outcome in challenging pre-hospital scenarios. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a Job Task Analysis and describe the physical demands of NARU roles. METHODS: A focus group was conducted to describe the physically demanding tasks performed by NARU personnel. Subsequently, the physical demands of the identified tasks were measured in 34 NARU personnel (29 male and 5 female). RESULTS: Eleven criterion tasks were identified; Swift Water Rescue (SWR), Re-board Inflatable Boat (RBIB), Set up Decontamination Tent (SDT), Clinical Decontamination (CD), Movement in Gas Tight Suits (MGTS), Marauding Terrorist Fire Arms (MTFA), Over Ground Rescue (OGR), Unload Incidence Response Unit Vehicle (UIRUV), Above Ground Rescue (AGR), Over Rubble Rescue (ORR) and Subterranean Rescue (SR). The greatest cardiovascular strain was measured during SWR, MGTS, and MTFA. The most thermally challenging tasks were the MTFA, CD, SR and OGR. The greatest muscular strength requirements were during MTFA and OGR. CONCLUSIONS: All five components of fitness (aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and mobility) were required for successful completion of the physically demanding tasks performed by NARU personnel.

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