Surface Combat Swimming Performance and Shooting Ability after Training With or Without Military Equipment.

Background: The present study examined the effect of a training program with or without equipment on 1000-m surface combat swimming and shooting ability.

Methods: The study included 45 officer cadets who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group (CG), a swimsuit and fins group (SF), and a combat uniform and equipment group (UE). SF and UE followed a 60-min surface combat swimming (sCS) training program for 4 weeks.

Balance Training and Shooting Performance: The Role of Load and the Unstable Surface.

Military and law enforcement members' shooting ability is influenced by their postural balance, which affects their performance and survivability. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a proprioception training program (standing or walking on unstable surfaces) on postural balance and shooting performance. Twenty participants, divided into two groups, completed 60 shots in a shooting simulator while standing, before and after a 4-week proprioception training program.

The Effect of a Balance Training Program on the Balance and Technical Skills of Adolescent Soccer Players.

Soccer is a complex sport, and balance appears to play a crucial role in the quality execution of technical skills, which are mostly performed while standing on one foot. Nevertheless, in younger ages, when learning still affects soccer performance, the effect of a balance-training program on the player's balance and technical skills remains unexplored. This research examined the effect of a balance-training program (BTP) on balance and technical skills of adolescent soccer players.

Metabolic Demands and Kinematics During Level Walking in Darkness With No Vision or With Visual Aid.

Introduction: Uniformed services commonly perform foot-borne operations at night, while using visual aid in terms of night vision goggles (NVG). During slow-level walking, complete lack of visual input alters kinematics and markedly increases the metabolic demand, whereas the effect on kinematics and energy expenditure of restricting the peripheral visual field by wearing NVG is still unknown. The purpose was to evaluate whether metabolic demands and kinematics during level walking are affected by complete darkness with and without visual aid.

The Effect of Wet Conditions and Surface Combat Swimming on Shooting.

Introduction: Shooting ability is an important aspect of performance in some sports and is vital during a military operation. Load carriage, clothing, and equipment normally associated with fatigue and reduced field of vision or lack of stability at a specific point are important factors that affect the ability to aim when shooting. Additionally, gun support and equipment appear to differentially affect shooting ability with varying shooting positions.

Exercise temperature regulation following a 35-day horizontal bedrest.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Does a 35-day horizontal bedrest impair thermoeffector responses during whole-body submaximal exercise performed in temperate conditions? What is the main finding and its importance? Cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning ensuing from prolonged recumbency seems to augment, at least to a degree, exercise-induced increase in body core temperature, most likely due to an impairment in non-evaporative heat loss. The response is a function of the absolute exercise intensity imposed.

Abstract: We examined the effects of a 35-day horizontal bedrest on thermoregulation during whole-body exercise.

The Effect of a Surface Combat Swimming Training Program on Swimming Performance.

In this study the effect of a surface combat swimming (sCS) training program on performance in freestyle swimming and sCS was examined. Forty-five officer cadets were divided into three equivalent groups: a control group (CG), a group that was trained only with a swimsuit and fins (SF), and a group that was trained with combat uniform and equipment (UE). Groups SF and UE followed a 60-min training program with sCS for 4 weeks, 4 times per week.

Second Ventilatory Threshold Assessed by Heart Rate Variability in a Multiple Shuttle Run Test.

Many studies have focused on heart rate variability in association with ventilatory thresholds. The purpose of the current study was to consider the ECG-derived respiration and the high frequency product of heart rate variability as applicable methods to assess the second ventilatory threshold (VT). Fifteen healthy young soccer players participated in the study.

Evaluation of ball passing and space detection skill in soccer: implementation of two new soccer tests.

The present study examined the validity and reliability of two new soccer tests: the Passing Accuracy Test (PAT), which assesses ball passing accuracy in combination with visual stimulus recognition and the Passing and Visual Recognition test (PVR), which assesses player's space detection skill in a 360 degrees range along with the frequency and the accuracy of ball passing technique. Participants were allocated in four (4) groups based on their age: the Under 11 (U11) group consisted of 101 players, the Under 14 (U14) group consisted of 100 players, the Under 17 (U17) group consisted of 118 players and the Adults (AD) group consisted of 43 players. The typical error, the limits of agreement and the ICC of PAT and PVR test were examined.

Seasonal variation of temperature regulation: do thermoregulatory responses "spring" forward and "fall" back?

Seasonal variations in day length and light intensity can affect the circadian rhythm as well as some characteristics of temperature regulation. We investigated characteristics of autonomic (ATR), behavioural (BTR) and nocturnal (NTR) temperature regulation during spring and autumn. Eleven participants underwent experiments in both seasons.

Thermoregulatory and cardiovasculareffects of capsaicin application on human skin during dynamic exercise to temperate and warm conditions.

Thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses during cycling in temperate and warm environments without and with application of capsaicin on the skin were investigated. We hypothesized that regardless of environmental temperature, capsaicin application would activate heat loss mechanisms attenuating exercise-induced rectal temperature (Tre) and blood pressure increase. Eight males cycled at 55% of their maximal aerobic power so long as to reach 38.

Effects of capsaicin application on the skin during resting exposure to temperate and warm conditions.

We investigated thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses at rest in a temperate (20°C) and in a warm (30°C) environment (40% RH) without and with the application of capsaicin on the skin. We hypothesized that regardless of environmental temperature, capsaicin application would stimulate heat loss and concomitantly deactivate heat conservation mechanisms, thus resulting in rectal temperature (Tre) and mean blood pressure decline due to excitation of heat-sensitive TRPV1. Ten male subjects were exposed, while seated, for 30 minutes to 20.

Determination of the exercise intensity corresponding with maximal lactate steady state in high-level basketball players.

The purpose of the present study was to define the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) in high-level male basketball players and to compare it with the lactate turnpoint (LTP) and the respective point derived form a prediction method (MLSS). Twelve high-level basketball players underwent one maximal and several submaximal tests on a treadmill on different days where MLSS and LTP were measured. MLSS was observed at 75% of the maximal treadmill speed, at 77% of VO, at 88% of HR and at [La] of 3.

The dribbling agility test as a potential tool for evaluating the dribbling skill in young soccer players.

The present study examined the construct validity and reliability of a new dribbling agility test (DAT) that incorporates reactive agility and multiple change of direction. To check its' validity, (a) DAT was performed by four groups (under 10, under 12, under 14 and under 16 yrs) of young soccer players (n = 125 in each group) and (b) a regression analysis was conducted to define the best DAT predictors. The reliability of DAT was assessed with repeated measurements.

A 10-day confinement to normobaric hypoxia impairs toe, but not finger temperature response during local cold stress.

The study examined the effects of a 10-day normobaric hypoxic confinement on the finger and toe temperature responses to local cooling. Eight male lowlanders underwent a normoxic (NC) and, in a separate occasion, a normobaric hypoxic confinement (HC; FO: 0.154; simulated altitude ~3400m).

Separate and Combined Effects of Hypoxia and Horizontal Bed Rest on Retinal Blood Vessel Diameters.

Purpose: To assess the separate and combined effects of exposure to prolonged and sustained recumbency (bed rest) and hypoxia on retinal microcirculation.

Methods: Eleven healthy male subjects (mean ± SD age = 27 ± 6 years; body mass index [BMI] = 23.7 ± 3.

The Effect of Normobaric Hypoxic Confinement on Metabolism, Gut Hormones, and Body Composition.

To assess the effect of normobaric hypoxia on metabolism, gut hormones, and body composition, 11 normal weight, aerobically trained (O2peak: 60.6 ± 9.5 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) men (73.

Pressure distension in leg vessels as influenced by prolonged bed rest and a pressure habituation regimen.

Bed rest increases pressure distension in arteries, arterioles, and veins of the leg. We hypothesized that bed-rest-induced deconditioning of leg vessels is governed by the removal of the local increments in transmural pressure induced by assuming erect posture and, therefore, can be counteracted by intermittently increasing local transmural pressure during the bed rest. Ten men underwent 5 wk of horizontal bed rest.

Severe hypoxia during incremental exercise to exhaustion provokes negative post-exercise affects.

The post-exercise emotional response is mainly dependent on the intensity of the exercise performed; moderate exercise causes positive feelings, whereas maximal exercise may prompt negative affects. Acute hypoxia impairs peak O2 uptake (V̇O2peak), resulting in a shift to a lower absolute intensity at the point of exhaustion. Hence, the purpose of the study was to examine whether a severe hypoxic stimulus would influence the post-exercise affective state in healthy lowlanders performing an incremental exercise to exhaustion.

Effects of Two Short-Term, Intermittent Hypoxic Training Protocols on the Finger Temperature Response to Local Cold Stress.

The study examined the effects of two short-term, intermittent hypoxic training protocols, namely exercising in hypoxia and living in normoxia (LL-TH; n=8), and exercising in normoxia preceded by a series of brief intermittent hypoxic exposures at rest (IHE+NOR; n=8), on the finger temperature response during a sea-level local cold test. In addition, a normoxic group was assigned as a control group (NOR; n=8). All groups trained on a cycle-ergometer 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks at 50% of peak power output.

Cadets' swimming and running performance with and without a combat uniform.

Introduction: The aim was to examine whether a combat uniform (CU) influences the cadet's exercise performance in and out of the water.

Methods: Fourteen male Army Officer cadets performed on 6 separate days: (1) a maximal 400-m freestyle swimming trial; (2) a 4 x 50-m all-out freestyle swimming trial with 10 s rest in between; (3) a 50-m swim obstacle course with a CU (CUs); (4) a 50-m swim obstacle course without a CU (NUs); (5) a 1000-m track run with a CU (CU(R)); and (6) a 1000-m track run without a CU (NUR). In each trial, performance time, oxygen uptake (Vo2), lactate concentration ([La]), and capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded.

Cardiovascular drift in trained paraplegic and able-bodied individuals during prolonged wheelchair exercise: effect of fluid replacement.

The progressive heart rate (HR) increase and stroke volume (SV) decline during prolonged constant-load leg exercise signifies cardiovascular drift (CVdrift); fluid replacement is known to minimize this phenomenon. Like their able-bodied counterparts (AB), paraplegic athletes undergo prolonged exercise during training and competition, which could result in CVdrift. The aim of this study is to address the role of rehydration on preventing CVdrift in spinal cord injured (SCI) paraplegic athletes.

Forearm-finger skin temperature gradient as an index of cutaneous perfusion during steady-state exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the forearm-finger skin temperature gradient (T(forearm-finger)), an index of vasomotor tone during resting conditions, can also be used during steady-state exercise. Twelve healthy men performed three cycling trials at an intensity of ~60% of their maximal oxygen uptake for 75 min separated by at least 48 h. During exercise, forearm skin blood flow (BFF ) was measured with a laser-Doppler flowmeter, and finger skin blood flow (PPG) was recorded from the left index fingertip using a pulse plethysmogram.

Cold-induced vasodilatation response in the fingers at 4 different water temperatures.

We evaluated the cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD) response at 4 different water temperatures. Nine healthy young male subjects immersed their right hands in 35 °C water for 5 min, and immediately thereafter for 30 min in a bath maintained at either 5, 8, 10, or 15 °C. The responses of finger skin temperatures, subjective ratings of thermal comfort and temperature sensation scores were compared between the 4 immersion trials.