Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests.

Introduction: The US Army Load Carriage Decision Aid (LCDA) metabolic model is used by militaries across the globe and is intended to predict physiological responses, specifically metabolic costs, in a wide range of dismounted warfighter operations. However, the LCDA has yet to be adapted for vest-borne load carriage, which is commonplace in tactical populations, and differs in energetic costs to backpacking and other forms of load carriage.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a metabolic model term that accurately estimates the effect of weighted vest loads on standing and walking metabolic rate for military mission-planning and general applications.

Peak performance and cardiometabolic responses of modern US army soldiers during heavy, fatiguing vest-borne load carriage.

Introduction: Physiological limits imposed by vest-borne loads must be defined for optimal performance monitoring of the modern dismounted warfighter.

Purpose: To evaluate how weighted vests affect locomotion economy and relative cardiometabolic strain during military load carriage while identifying key physiological predictors of exhaustion limits.

Methods: Fifteen US Army soldiers (4 women, 11 men; age, 26 ± 8 years; height, 173 ± 10 cm; body mass (BM), 79 ± 16 kg) performed four incremental walking tests with different vest loads (0, 22, 44, or 66% BM).

Changes in Immune Function during Initial Military Training.

Purpose: Initial military training (IMT) is a transitionary period wherein immune function may be suppressed and infection risk heightened due to physical and psychological stress, communal living, and sleep deprivation. This study characterized changes in biomarkers of innate and adaptive immune function, and potential modulators of those changes, in military recruits during IMT.

Methods: Peripheral leukocyte distribution and mitogen-stimulated cytokine profiles were measured in fasted blood samples, Epstein-Barr (EBV), varicella zoster (VZV), and herpes simplex 1 (HSV1) DNA was measured in saliva by quantitative polymerase chain reaction as an indicator of latent herpesvirus reactivation, and diet quality was determined using the healthy eating index measured by food frequency questionnaire in 61 US Army recruits (97% male) at the beginning (PRE) and end (POST) of 22-wk IMT.

Initial military training modulates serum fatty acid and amino acid metabolites.

Initial military training (IMT) results in increased fat-free mass (FFM) and decreased fat mass (FM). The underlying metabolic adaptations facilitating changes in body composition during IMT are unknown. The objective of this study was to assess changes in body composition and the serum metabolome during 22-week US Army IMT.

A digital tool for prevention and management of cold weather injuries-Cold Weather Ensemble Decision Aid (CoWEDA).

This paper describes a Cold Weather Ensemble Decision Aid (CoWEDA) that provides guidance for cold weather injury prevention, mission planning, and clothing selection. CoWEDA incorporates current science from the disciplines of physiology, meteorology, clothing, and computer modeling. The thermal performance of a cold weather ensemble is defined by endurance times, which are the time intervals from initial exposure until the safety limits are reached.