These data demonstrate that during a common isokinetic strength testing protocol a between set rest period of at least 60 s is sufficient for recovery before the next test set.

The U.S. Army recently mandated that soldiers undergo glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) testing before deployment to malarious regions. We retrospectively characterize the presence and degree of G6PD deficiency in U.S. military personnel by sex, self-reported ethnicity, and World Health Organization deficiency classification through test results obtained October 1, 2004 through January 17, 2005. Data were available for 63,302 (54,874 males and 8,428 females) subjects; 2.5% of males and 1.6% of females were deficient, with most having only moderate enzyme deficiency. African American males (12.2%) and females (4.1%), along with Asian males (4.3%), had the highest rates of G6PD deficiency. Most males were found to have class III variants while most females were class IV variants. The most severely deficient were Asian males (class II). These results suggest that universal screening for G6PD deficiency is clinically warranted, and particularly essential for those male service members who self-report ethnicity as African American, Asian, or Hispanic.

This study determined whether a torso-vest forced ambient air body ventilation system (BVS) reduced physiological strain during exercise-heat stress. Seven heat-acclimated volunteers attempted nine, 2-h treadmill walks at 200 W m(-2) in three environments, -40 degrees C, 20% rh (HD), 35 degrees C, 75% rh (HW), and 30 degrees C, 50% rh, (WW) wearing the Army Combat Uniform, interceptor body armor (IBA) and Kevlar helmet. Three trials in each environment were BVS turned on (BVS(On)), BVS turned off (BVS(Off)), and no BVS (IBA). In HD, BVS(On) significantly lowered core temperature (T (re)), heart rate (HR), mean skin temperature (T (sk)), mean torso skin temperature (T (torso)), thermal sensation (TS), heat storage (S), and physiological strain index (PSI), versus BVS(Off) and IBA (P < 0.05). For HW (n = 6), analyses were possible only through 60 min. Exercise tolerance time (min) during HW was significantly longer for BVS(On) (116 +/- 10 min) versus BVS(Off) (95 +/- 22 min) and IBA (96 +/- 18 min) (P < 0.05). During HW, BVS(On) lowered HR at 60 min versus IBA, T (sk) from 30 to 60 min versus BVS(Off) and IBA, and PSI from 45 to 60 min versus BVS(Off) and at 60 min versus IBA (P < 0.05). BVS(On) changes in T (re) and HR were lower in HD and HW. During WW, BVS(On) significantly lowered HR, T (sk), and T (torso) versus BVS(Off) and IBA (P < 0.05) during late exercise. Sweating rates were significantly lower for BVS(On) versus BVS(Off) and IBA in both HD and WW (P < 0.05), but not HW. These results indicate that BVS(On) reduces physiological strain in all three environments by a similar amount; however, in hot-dry conditions the BVS(Off) increases physiological strain.