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.

Metabolic, cardiovascular, neuromuscular and perceptual responses to repeated military-specific load carriage treadmill simulations.

Bouts of military load carriage are rarely completed in isolation; however, limited research has investigated the physiological responses to repeated load carriage tasks. Twelve civilian men (age, 28 ± 8 years; stature, 185.6 ± 5.

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.

Cognitive, Psychophysiological, and Perceptual Responses to a Repeated Military-Specific Load Carriage Treadmill Simulation.

Background: Dismounted military operations require soldiers to complete cognitive tasks whilst undertaking demanding and repeated physical taskings.

Objective: To assess the effects of repeated fast load carriage bouts on cognitive performance, perceptual responses, and psychophysiological markers.

Methods: Twelve civilian males (age, 28 ± 8 y; stature, 186 ± 6 cm; body mass 84.

Association between external training loads and injury incidence during 44 weeks of military training.

Military training is physically arduous and associated with high injury incidence. Unlike in high-performance sport, the interaction between training load and injury has not been extensively researched in military personnel. Sixty-three (43 men, 20 women; age 24 ± 2 years; stature 1.

The effect of sex, menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on intestinal permeability and ex-vivo monocyte TNFα release following treatment with lipopolysaccharide and hyperthermia.

Purpose: Investigate the impact of sex, menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on intestinal permeability and ex-vivo tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) release following treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and hyperthermia.

Methods: Twenty-seven participants (9 men, 9 eumenorrheic women (MC) and 9 women taking an oral contraceptive pill (OC)) completed three trials. Men were tested on 3 occasions over 6 weeks; MC during early-follicular, ovulation, and mid-luteal phases; OC during the pill and pill-free phase.

Nutrition and Physical Activity During British Army Officer Cadet Training: Part 1-Energy Balance and Energy Availability.

Military training is characterized by high daily energy expenditures which are difficult to match with energy intake, potentially resulting in negative energy balance (EB) and low energy availability (EA). The aim of this study was to quantify EB and EA during British Army Officer Cadet training. Thirteen (seven women) Officer Cadets (mean ± SD: age 24 ± 3 years) volunteered to participate.

Nutrition and Physical Activity in British Army Officer Cadet Training Part 2-Daily Distribution of Energy and Macronutrient Intake.

Dietary intake and physical activity impact performance and adaptation during training. The aims of this study were to compare energy and macronutrient intake during British Army Officer Cadet training with dietary guidelines and describe daily distribution of energy and macronutrient intake and estimated energy expenditure. Thirteen participants (seven women) were monitored during three discrete periods of military training for 9 days on-camp, 5 days of field exercise, and 9 days of a mixture of the two.

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.

Plasma uptake of selected phenolic acids following New Zealand blackcurrant extract supplementation in humans.

New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract is a rich source of anthocyanins and in order to exert physiological effects, the anthocyanin-derived metabolites need to be bioavailable . We examined the plasma uptake of selected phenolic acids following NZBC extract supplementation alongside maintaining a habitual diet (i.e.

Effect of losartan on performance and physiological responses to exercise at high altitude (5035 m).

Objective: Altitude-related and exercise-related elevations in blood pressure (BP) increase the likelihood of developing pulmonary hypertension and high-altitude illness during high-altitude sojourn. This study examined the antihypertensive effect and potential exercise benefit of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist losartan when taken at altitude.

Methods: Twenty participants, paired for age and ACE genotype status, completed a double-blinded, randomised study, where participants took either losartan (100 mg/day) or placebo for 21 days prior to arrival at 5035 m (Whymper Hut, Mt Chimborazo, Ecuador).

No Effect of New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract on Recovery of Muscle Damage Following Running a Half-Marathon.

New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) contains anthocyanins, known to moderate blood flow and display anti-inflammatory properties that may improve recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. The authors examined whether NZBC extract supplementation enhances recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage after a half-marathon race. Following a randomized, double-blind, independent groups design, 20 (eight women) recreational runners (age 30 ± 6 years, height 1.

Accuracy of Metabolic Cost Predictive Equations During Military Load Carriage.

Vine, CA, Coakley, SL, Blacker, SD, Doherty, J, Hale, B, Walker, EF, Rue, CA, Lee, BJ, Flood, TR, Knapik, JJ, Jackson, S, Greeves, JP, and Myers, SD. Accuracy of metabolic cost predictive equations during military load carriage. J Strength Cond Res 36(5): 1297-1303, 2022-To quantify the accuracy of 5 equations to predict the metabolic cost of load carriage under ecologically valid military speed and load combinations.

Hypoxia is not the primary mechanism contributing to exercise-induced proteinuria.

Introduction: Proteinuria increases at altitude and with exercise, potentially as a result of hypoxia. Using urinary alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) levels as a sensitive marker of proteinuria, we examined the impact of relative hypoxia due to high altitude and blood pressure-lowering medication on post-exercise proteinuria.

Methods: Twenty individuals were pair-matched for sex, age and ACE genotype.

A job task analysis to describe the physical demands of specialist paramedic roles in the National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU).

Background: The National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU) works on behalf of each National Health Service (NHS) Ambulance Trust in England to strengthen national resilience and improve patient outcome in challenging pre-hospital scenarios.

Objective: To conduct a Job Task Analysis and describe the physical demands of NARU roles.

Methods: A focus group was conducted to describe the physically demanding tasks performed by NARU personnel.

Acetazolamide reduces exercise capacity following a 5-day ascent to 4559 m in a randomised study.

Objective: To assess whether acetazolamide (Az), used prophylactically for acute mountain sickness (AMS), alters exercise capacity at high altitude.

Methods: Az (500 mg daily) or placebo was administered to 20 healthy adults (aged 36±20 years, range 21-77), who were paired for age, sex, AMS susceptibility and weight, in a double-blind, randomised manner. Participants ascended over 5 days to 4559 m, then exercised to exhaustion on a bicycle ergometer, while recording breath-by-breath gas measurements.

Blackcurrant Alters Physiological Responses and Femoral Artery Diameter during Sustained Isometric Contraction.

Blackcurrant is rich in anthocyanins that may affect exercise-induced physiological responses. We examined tissue oxygen saturation, muscle activity, cardiovascular responses and femoral artery diameter during a submaximal sustained isometric contraction. In a randomised, double-blind, crossover design, healthy men ( = 13, age: 25 ± 4 years, BMI: 25 ± 3 kg·m, mean ± SD) ingested New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract (600 mg∙day CurraNZ™) or placebo (PL) for 7-days separated by 14-days washout.

Dose effects of New Zealand blackcurrant on substrate oxidation and physiological responses during prolonged cycling.

Purpose: It has been previously shown that New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract increased fat oxidation during short duration cycling. The present study examined the effect of different doses of NZBC extract on substrate oxidation and physiological responses during prolonged cycling.

Methods: Using a randomized counterbalanced Latin-square design, 15 endurance-trained male cyclists (age: 38 ± 12 years, height: 187 ± 5 cm, body mass: 76 ± 10 kg, [Formula: see text]: 56 ± 8 mL kg min, and mean ± SD) completed four separate 120-min cycling bouts at 65% [Formula: see text] after ingesting no dose, or one of three doses (300, 600, or 900 mg day) of NZBC extract (CurraNZ™) for 7 days.

Hypoxia Impairs Muscle Function and Reduces Myotube Size in Tissue Engineered Skeletal Muscle.

Contemporary tissue engineered skeletal muscle models display a high degree of physiological accuracy compared with native tissue, and therefore may be excellent platforms to understand how various pathologies affect skeletal muscle. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease which causes tissue hypoxia and is characterized by muscle fiber atrophy and impaired muscle function. In the present study we exposed engineered skeletal muscle to varying levels of oxygen (O ; 21-1%) for 24 h in order to see if a COPD like muscle phenotype could be recreated in vitro, and if so, at what degree of hypoxia this occurred.

Cardiovascular function during supine rest in endurance-trained males with New Zealand blackcurrant: a dose-response study.

Purpose: Blackcurrant contains anthocyanins that could alter cardiovascular function and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. We examined dose responses of New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract on cardiovascular function during supine rest.

Methods: Fifteen endurance-trained male cyclists (age: 38 ± 12 years, height: 178 ± 5 cm, body mass: 76 ± 10 kg, [Formula: see text]: 56 ± 8 mL kg min, mean ± SD) were randomly assigned using a counterbalanced Latin square design to complete four conditions, a control of no NZBC, or one of three doses (300, 600 or 900 mg day) of NZBC extract (CurraNZ™) for 7-days with a 14-day washout.

Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses after exercise-induced muscle damage: the influence of lowered glycogen.

Background: We examined the effect of early-onset of muscle damage and low muscle glycogen on cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to low-intensity exercise.

Methods: Twelve men cycled for 10 min at 50% maximal oxygen uptake before, and 12 h after a morning downhill run (five, 8 min bouts at -12% gradient, with 2 min rests) under normal (NORM) and lowered glycogen (LOW) conditions, following a cross-over design with conditions separated by six weeks. Cardiorespiratory responses were recorded, with oxidation measures derived from stoichiometry equations.

Effect of eccentric exercise with reduced muscle glycogen on plasma interleukin-6 and neuromuscular responses of musculus quadriceps femoris.

Eccentric exercise can result in muscle damage and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion. Glycogen availability is a potent stimulator of IL-6 secretion. We examined effects of eccentric exercise in a low-glycogen state on neuromuscular function and plasma IL-6 secretion.

Force and acceleration characteristics of military foot drill: implications for injury risk in recruits.

Background: Foot drill involving marching and drill manoeuvres is conducted regularly during basic military recruit training. Characterising the biomechanical loading of foot drill will improve our understanding of the contributory factors to lower limb overuse injuries in recruits.

Aim: Quantify and compare forces, loading rates and accelerations of British Army foot drill, within and between trained and untrained personnel.

New Zealand blackcurrant extract improves cycling performance and fat oxidation in cyclists.

Purpose: Blackcurrant intake increases peripheral blood flow in humans, potentially by anthocyanin-induced vasodilation which may affect substrate delivery and exercise performance. We examined the effects of New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract on substrate oxidation, cycling time-trial performance and plasma lactate responses following the time-trial in trained cyclists.

Methods: Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, 14 healthy men (age: 38 ± 13 years, height: 178 ± 4 cm, body mass: 77 ± 9 kg, VO2max: 53 ± 6 mL kg(-1) min(-1), mean ± SD) ingested NZBC extract (300 mg day(-1) CurraNZ™ containing 105 mg anthocyanin) or placebo (PL, 300 mg microcrystalline cellulose M102) for 7 days (washout 14 days).