Physiological effects of wearing heavy body armour on male soldiers

Majumdar, Dhurjati; Srivastava, Kamna; Purkayastha, Sushmita; Pichan, G.; Selvamurthy, W.

doi:10.1016/s0169-8141(96)00057-1

Cited by 32 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…During ambulatory tasks of relatively low metabolic demand, the addition of a load elevates the required minute ventilation when compared with the unloaded state (Majumdar et al 1997;Bhambhani and Maikala 2000;Dreger et al 2006, Peoples et al 2016. Thus, ventilation tracks the load-induced change in metabolic demand, with the breathing pattern shifting towards that seen during chest-wall restriction (Caro et al 1960;Harty et al 1999) and in patients with restrictive disorders (Milic-Emili and Zin 2011;Pride and Macklem 2011).…”

Section: Cardiopulmonary Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Load carriage, human performance, and employment standards

Taylor

Peoples

Petersen

2016

Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.

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Abstract:The focus of this review is on the physiological considerations necessary for developing employment standards within occupations that have a heavy reliance on load carriage. Employees within military, fire fighting, law enforcement, and search and rescue occupations regularly work with heavy loads. For example, soldiers often carry loads >50 kg, whilst structural firefighters wear 20-25 kg of protective clothing and equipment, in addition to carrying external loads. It has long been known that heavy loads modify gait, mobility, metabolic rate, and efficiency, while concurrently elevating the risk of muscle fatigue and injury. In addition, load carriage often occurs within environmentally stressful conditions, with protective ensembles adding to the thermal burden of the workplace. Indeed, physiological strain relates not just to the mass and dimensions of carried objects, but to how those loads are positioned on and around the body. Yet heavy loads must be borne by men and women of varying body size, and with the expectation that operational capability will not be impinged. This presents a recruitment conundrum. How do employers identify capable and injury-resistant individuals while simultaneously avoiding discriminatory selection practices? In this communication, the relevant metabolic, cardiopulmonary, and thermoregulatory consequences of loaded work are reviewed, along with concomitant impediments to physical endurance and mobility. Also emphasised is the importance of including occupation-specific clothing, protective equipment, and loads during work-performance testing. Finally, recommendations are presented for how to address these issues when evaluating readiness for duty.Key words: backpacks, firefighter, load carriage, oxygen cost, military, employment standards, ventilation, work of breathing.Résumé : Cette analyse documentaire traite principalement des aspects physiologiques essentiels à l'élaboration de normes d'emploi pour des postes dont la fonction majeure est le transport de charges. Les employés dans l'armée, les pompiers, la police, les membres de recherche et sauvetage travaillent régulièrement avec de lourdes charges. Par exemple, les soldats transportent souvent des charges de >50 kg et les pompiers de bâtiments portent un vêtement de protection pesant de 20 à 25 kg et déplacent aussi des charges externes. On sait depuis longtemps que le port de charges lourdes modifie la démarche, la mobilité, le taux métabolique et le rendement tout en augmentant le risque de fatigue musculaire et de blessure. De plus, le déplacement des charges est effectué fréquemment dans des conditions environnementales stressantes et les vêtements de protection accroissent la charge thermique dans cet endroit. En outre, la contrainte physiologique ne dépend pas seulement de la masse et des dimensions des objets à déplacer, mais aussi de leur positionnement sur et autour du corps. Pourtant, il faut que ces charges soient déplacées par des hommes et des femmes de gabarit divers dont les capacités opérationnell...

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Section: Cardiopulmonary Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Load carriage, human performance, and employment standards

Taylor

Peoples

Petersen

2016

Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.

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“…Nevertheless, the related measures of cardiovascular strain [33], pulmonary strain [37] and heart rate [36, 37] were all reported as elevated beyond control levels in participants wearing body armour suggesting that workload increased when wearing body armour. The study by Swain, et.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of body armor on physical performance of law enforcement personnel: a systematic review

Tomes¹,

Orr²,

Pope³

2017

Ann of Occup and Environ Med

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BackgroundThe law enforcement officer profession requires performance of arduous occupational tasks while carrying an external load, consisting of, at minimum, a chest rig, a communication system, weaponry, handcuffs, personal protective equipment and a torch. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to identify and critically appraise the methodological quality of published studies that have investigated the impacts of body armour on task performance and to synthesize and report key findings from these studies to inform law enforcement organizations.MethodsSeveral literature databases (Medline, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, EMBAS) were searched using key search words and terms to identify appropriate studies. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were critically evaluated using the Downs and Black protocol with inter-rater agreement determined by Cohen’s Kappa.ResultsSixteen articles were retained for evaluation with a mean Downs and Black score of 73.2 ± 6.8% (k = 0.841). Based on the research quality and findings across the included studies, this review determined that while effects of body armour on marksmanship and physiological responses have not yet been adequately ascertained, body armour does have significant physical performance and biomechanical impacts on the wearer, including: a) increased ratings of perceived exertion and increased time to complete functional tasks, b) decreased work capability (indicated by deterioration in fitness test scores), c) decreased balance and stability, and d) increased ground reaction forces.ConclusionsGiven the physical performance and biomechanical impacts on the wearer, body armour should be carefully selected, with consideration of the physical fitness of the wearers and the degree to which the armour systems can be ergonomically optimized for the specific population in question.

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“…This study used stab resistant armour (similar composition to soft armour) and other standard accessories but the results are still valid in terms of the physiological effect. Another study noted significant pulmonary function deterioration and increased mean skin temperature in exercise tasks while wearing typical military hard armour plates [113]. Even more concerning is a study that showed that soldier vigilance was diminished while carrying a heavy load while standing or walking [114].…”

Section: Man-made Hard Armourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Armours for soft bodies: how far can bioinspiration take us?

White

Vernerey

2018

Bioinspir. Biomim.

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The development of armour is as old as the dawn of civilization. Early man looked to natural structures to harvest or replicate for protection, leaning on millennia of evolutionary developments in natural protection. Since the advent of more modern weaponry, Armor development has seemingly been driven more by materials research than bio-inspiration. However, parallels can still be drawn between modern bullet-protective armours and natural defensive structures. Soft armour for handgun and fragmentation threats can be likened to mammalian skin, and similarly, hard armour can be compared with exoskeletons and turtle shells. Via bio-inspiration, it may be possible to develop structures previously un-researched for ballistic protection. This review will cover current modern ballistic protective structures focusing on energy dissipation and absorption methods, and their natural analogues. As all armour is a compromise between weight, flexibility and protection, the imbricated structure of scaled skin will be presented as a better balance between these factors. TOPICAL REVIEW RECEIVED

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Physiological effects of wearing heavy body armour on male soldiers

Cited by 32 publications

References 11 publications

Load carriage, human performance, and employment standards

Load carriage, human performance, and employment standards

The impact of body armor on physical performance of law enforcement personnel: a systematic review

Armours for soft bodies: how far can bioinspiration take us?

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