Effect of load carriage on performance of an explosive, anaerobic military task

• Published in: Military medicine Vol. 176; no. 9; pp. 1027 - 1031
• Main Authors: Treloar, Alison K Laing, Billing, Daniel C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Equipment and Supplies; Exercise; Female; Females; Gait - physiology; Global positioning systems; GPS; Humans; Male; Mercenaries; Military Personnel; Physical Fitness - physiology; Sex Factors; Weight-Bearing - physiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0026-4075; 1930-613X
• DOI: 10.7205/MILMED-D-11-00017

This study examined the effects of load carriage on performance of an explosive, anaerobic military task. A task-specific assessment requiring five 30-m timed sprints was developed to address this question. Seventeen soldiers (female = 5, male = 12) volunteered to undergo the test under two experimental conditions: unloaded (combat uniform and boots) and loaded (unloaded plus 21.6 kg fighting load, comprising webbing, weapon, helmet, and combat body armor). When loaded, there was a significant increase in the mean 30-m sprint time compared to unloaded (8.2 +/- 1.4 seconds vs. 6.2 +/- 0.8 seconds; p < 0.01). Of the total increase in mean sprint time, 51.7% occurred within the first 5 m. Female sprint times were affected to a larger extent than male (36% vs. 29%, respectively) as a result of the increased load. Fighting load significantly affected soldier mobility when conducting explosive, anaerobic military tasks, particularly among females, and specific physical conditioning should be considered to minimize this effect.