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.

Fuzzy ripple artifact in high resolution fMRI: identification, cause, and mitigation.

Purpose: High resolution fMRI is a rapidly growing research field focused on capturing functional signal changes across cortical layers. However, the data acquisition is limited by low spatial frequency EPI artifacts; termed here as Fuzzy Ripples. These artifacts limit the practical applicability of acquisition protocols with higher spatial resolution, faster acquisition speed, and they challenge imaging in lower brain areas.

Effect of Menstrual Cycle and Hormonal Contraception on Musculoskeletal Health and Performance: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Design and Cross-Sectional Comparison.

Background: Women of reproductive age experience cyclical variation in the female sex steroid hormones 17β-estradiol and progesterone during the menstrual cycle that is attenuated by some hormonal contraceptives. Estrogens perform a primary function in sexual development and reproduction but have nonreproductive effects on bone, muscle, and sinew tissues (ie, ligaments and tendons), which may influence injury risk and physical performance.

Objective: The purpose of the study is to understand the effect of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use on bone and calcium metabolism, and musculoskeletal health and performance.

Physiological characteristics predictive of passing military physical employment standard tasks for ground close combat occupations in men and women.

Challenges for some women meeting the physical employment standards (PES) for ground close combat (GCC) roles stem from physical fitness and anthropometric characteristics. The purpose of this study was to identify the modifiable and nonmodifiable characteristics predictive of passing GCC-based PES tasks and determine the modifiable characteristics suitable to overcome nonmodifiable limitations. 107 adults (46 women) underwent multiday testing assessing regional and total lean mass (LM), percent body fat (BF%), aerobic capacity (V̇O), strength, power, and PES performance.

Circulating extracellular vesicle characteristics differ between men and women following 12 weeks of concurrent exercise training.

Concurrent resistance and endurance exercise training (CET) has well-studied benefits; however, inherent hormonal and genetic differences alter adaptive responses to exercise between sexes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are factors that contribute to adaptive signaling. Our purpose was to test if EV characteristics differ between men and women following CET.

Skeletal muscle adaptations to high-intensity, low-volume concurrent resistance and interval training in recreationally active men and women.

This study compared the structural and cellular skeletal muscle factors underpinning adaptations in maximal strength, power, aerobic capacity, and lean body mass to a 12-week concurrent resistance and interval training program in men and women. Recreationally active women and men completed three training sessions per week consisting of high-intensity, low-volume resistance training followed by interval training performed using a variety upper and lower body exercises representative of military occupational tasks. Pre- and post-training vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were analyzed for changes in muscle fiber type, cross-sectional area, capillarization, and mitochondrial biogenesis marker content.

Effect of acute resistance exercise on bone turnover in young adults before and after concurrent resistance and interval training.

Weight-bearing physical activity can stimulate bone adaptation. This investigation explored the effect of an acute bout of resistance exercise before and after resistance+interval training on circulating biomarkers of bone metabolism and muscle-bone crosstalk. Healthy young male and female participants (n = 21 male, 28 ± 4 years; n = 17 female, 27 ± 5 years) performed a 6 × 10 squat test (75% 1RM) before and after a 12-week resistance+interval training program.

Protein dose requirements to maximize skeletal muscle protein synthesis after repeated bouts of resistance exercise in young trained women.

Studies examining the effect of protein (PRO) feeding on post resistance exercise (RE) muscle protein synthesis (MPS) have primarily been performed in men, and little evidence is available regarding the quantity of PRO required to maximally stimulate MPS in trained women following repeated bouts of RE. We therefore quantified acute (4 h and 8 h) and extended (24 h) effects of two bouts of resistance exercise, alongside protein-feeding, in women, and the PRO requirement to maximize MPS. Twenty-four RE trained women (26.

Eating Disorder Risk and Common Mental Disorders in British Servicewomen: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Purpose: Servicewomen are at increased risk of common mental disorders compared with servicemen and their female civilian counterparts. The prevalence of eating disorder risk and common mental disorders, and associated risk factors in British servicewomen are poorly understood.

Methods: All women younger than 45 yr in the UK Armed Forces were invited to complete a survey about demographics, exercise behaviors, eating behaviors, and common mental disorders.

Twelve weeks of concurrent resistance and interval training improves military occupational task performance in men and women.

In the British Army, ground close combat roles have opened to women, however, they must pass the newly developed, gender-neutral Role Fitness Tests for Soldiers (RFT(S)). Due to physiological differences between sexes, training that optimally prepares both sexes for military occupational demands and the RFT(S) is needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a 12-week periodized strength and power programme with concurrent interval training on RFT(S) performance and determine if performance adaptations differed between sexes.

Pilot feasibility study of a digital technology approach to the systematic electronic capture of parent-reported data on cognitive and language development in children aged 2 years.

Background: The assessment of language and cognition in children at risk of impaired neurodevelopment following neonatal care is a UK standard of care but there is no national, systematic approach for obtaining these data. To overcome these challenges, we developed and evaluated a digital version of a validated parent questionnaire to assess cognitive and language development at age 2 years, the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised (PARCA-R).

Methods: We involved clinicians and parents of babies born very preterm who received care in north-west London neonatal units.

The effect of calcium supplementation on calcium and bone metabolism during load carriage in women: protocol for a randomised controlled crossover trial.

Background: Military field exercises are characterised by high volumes of exercise and prolonged periods of load carriage. Exercise can decrease circulating serum calcium and increase parathyroid hormone and bone resorption. These disturbances to calcium and bone metabolism can be attenuated with calcium supplementation immediately before exercise.

The effect of sex and protein supplementation on bone metabolism during a 36-h military field exercise in energy deficit.

This study investigated sex differences in, and the effect of protein supplementation on, bone metabolism during a 36-h military field exercise. Forty-four British Army Officer cadets (14 women) completed a 36-h field exercise. Participants consumed either their habitual diet [ = 14 women (Women) and = 15 men (Men Controls)] or the habitual diet with an additional 46.

Menstrual Function, Eating Disorders, Low Energy Availability, and Musculoskeletal Injuries in British Servicewomen.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate associations between menstrual function, eating disorders, and risk of low energy availability with musculoskeletal injuries in British servicewomen.

Methods: All women younger than 45 yr in the UK Armed Forces were invited to complete a survey about menstrual function, eating behaviors, exercise behaviors, and injury history.

Results: A total of 3022 women participated; 2% had a bone stress injury in the last 12 months, 20% had ever had a bone stress injury, 40% had a time-loss musculoskeletal injury in the last 12 months, and 11% were medically downgraded for a musculoskeletal injury.

Children perceive illusory faces in objects as male more often than female.

Face pareidolia is the experience of seeing illusory faces in inanimate objects. While children experience face pareidolia, it is unknown whether they perceive gender in illusory faces, as their face evaluation system is still developing in the first decade of life. In a sample of 412 children and adults from 4 to 80 years of age we found that like adults, children perceived many illusory faces in objects to have a gender and had a strong bias to see them as male rather than female, regardless of their own gender identification.

Changes in physical performance during British Army Junior Entry, British Army Standard Entry and Royal Air Force Basic Training.

Introduction: The purpose was to quantify physical performance in men and women during British Army Junior Entry (Army-JE), British Army Standard Entry (Army-SE) and Royal Air Force (RAF) basic training (BT).

Design: Prospective longitudinal study.

Methods: 381 participants ((339 men and 42 women) n=141 Army-JE, n=132 Army-SE, n=108 RAF) completed a 2 km run, medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP), pre-BT and post-BT.

Effect of sex and combat employment on musculoskeletal injuries and medical downgrading in trained military personnel: an observational cohort study.

Introduction: Following the opening of all combat roles to women across the UK Armed Forces, there is a requirement to understand the risk of injury to these female personnel. Women injure at a higher rate than men during basic military training, but fewer data are published from individuals who have passed military training.

Methods: A bespoke survey was designed to investigate differences in injury prevalence and medical downgrading between sexes and career employment groups (ie, job roles) in the UK Armed Forces.

Sustained neural representations of personally familiar people and places during cued recall.

The recall and visualization of people and places from memory is an everyday occurrence, yet the neural mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon are not well understood. In particular, the temporal characteristics of the internal representations generated by active recall are unclear. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) and multivariate pattern analysis to measure the evolving neural representation of familiar places and people across the whole brain when human participants engage in active recall.