Soldier performance management: insights from boots on ground research and recommendations for practitioners.

Theoretically, the serial measurement of biomarkers to monitor physiological responses to military training could be used to mitigate musculoskeletal injury risk and better understand the recovery status of personnel. To date, the cost and scalability of these initiatives have impeded their uptake by defence organisations. However, advances in technology are increasing the accessibility of a range of health and performance biomarkers.

A comparison of role-related physical fitness between British Army trainees and trained soldiers.

British Army basic training (BT) and initial trade training (ITT) enable personnel to develop role-related physical capability to perform in-service job-roles. The study aimed to compare physical performance of trainees (completing ITT) and trained soldiers, on a series of gym-based fitness tests and representative military tasks. A total of 316 British Army personnel [68 trainees (63 men: 22 ± 3 years, 71.

External workload and cognitive performance of a tactical military scenario-based field exercise.

Introduction: Military personnel must manage a multitude of competing physiological and cognitive stressors while maintaining high levels of performance. Quantifying the external workload and cognitive demands of tactical military field exercises closely simulating operational environments, will provide a better understanding of stressors placed on personnel to inform evidence-based interventions.

Methods: Thirty-one soldiers completing a dismounted 48 hours tactical field exercise, participated in the study.

Development of an evidence-based swimming representative military task to assess swimming competency in the British Army.

Background: There is a requirement for British Army personnel to operate in/around water. Assessing role-related swimming/water competence will support personnel to conduct their job-roles safely and effectively.

Objective: To undertake a Job-Task Analysis (JTA) of British Army personnel when working in/around water and use this information to develop a Swimming Representative Military Task (RMT) to assess swimming/water competence.

Beyond change scores: Employing an improved statistical approach to analyze the impact of entry fitness on physical performance during British Army basic training in men and women.

The aim was to use a robust statistical approach to examine whether physical fitness at entry influences performance changes between men and women undertaking British Army basic training (BT). Performance of 2 km run, seated medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP) were assessed at entry and completion of Standard Entry (SE), Junior Entry-Short (JE-Short), and Junior Entry-Long (JE-Long) training for 2350 (272 women) recruits. Performance change was analyzed with entry performance as a covariate (ANCOVA), with an additional interaction term allowing different slopes for courses and genders (p < 0.

Field validation of The Heat Strain Decision Aid during military load carriage.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the agreement between actual and predicted core body temperature, using the Heat Strain Decision Aid (HSDA), in non-Ground Close Combat (GCC) personnel wearing multi terrain pattern clothing during two stages of load carriage in temperate conditions.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Methods: Sixty participants (men = 49, women = 11, age 31 ± 8 years; height 171.

Effects of a hot ambient operating theatre on manual dexterity, psychological and physiological parameters in staff during a simulated burn surgery.

Objectives: Hot environmental conditions can result in a high core-temperature and dehydration which can impair physical and cognitive performance. This study aimed to assess the effects of a hot operating theatre on various performance, physiological and psychological parameters in staff during a simulated burn surgery.

Methods: Due to varying activity levels, surgery staff were allocated to either an Active (n = 9) or Less-Active (n = 8) subgroup, with both subgroups performing two simulated burn surgery trials (CONTROL: ambient conditions; 23±0.

Hand and torso pre-cooling does not enhance subsequent high-intensity cycling or cognitive performance in heat.

The purpose of this study was to compare the separate and combined effects of two practical cooling methods (hand and torso) used prior to exercise on subsequent high-intensity cycling performance in heat. Ten trained male cyclists (V̇Opeak: 65.7 ± 10.

Effects of Half-Time Cooling Using A Cooling Glove and Jacket on Manual Dexterity and Repeated-Sprint Performance in Heat.

This study aimed to assess the separate and combined effects of a cooling glove (CG) and a gel-cooling jacket (CJ) used during a half-time break on manual dexterity performance (Purdue Pegboard test) and subsequent repeat-sprint cycling performance in hot conditions. Twelve male athletes performed four experimental trials (within subjects, counterbalanced design) that consisted of: wearing a CG, wearing a CJ, combination of CG and CJ (CG+J) or a no-cooling control (NC) for 15 min during a 20 min half-time break performed between 2 x 30 min repeated-sprint cycling bouts in heat (35.0 ± 1.

Effectiveness of hand cooling and a cooling jacket on post-exercise cooling rates in hyperthermic athletes.

This study compared the effects of a hand cooling glove (∼16°C water temperature; subatmospheric pressure of -40 mmHg) and a cooling jacket (CJ) on post-exercise cooling rates (gastrointestinal core temperature, Tc; skin temperature, Tsk) and cognitive performance (the Stroop Colour-Word test). Twelve male athletes performed four trials (within subjects, counterbalanced design) involving cycling at a workload equivalent to 75% ⩒Omax in heat (35.7 ± 0.

Fitness, body composition and vascular health in adolescent and young adult survivors of paediatric brain cancer and cranial radiotherapy.

Background Survivors of paediatric brain cancer and/or cranial radiotherapy (CRT) are at an increased risk of developing serious comorbidities. Established risk factors for chronic disease include central obesity, endothelial abnormalities and diminished fitness. Objectives Here we characterised anthropometry, body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), endothelial function, muscular strength and endurance and aerobic fitness in adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors.