Sixty-two Adult Artillery Recruits, 95 Junior Infantry Soldier Recruits and 104 Junior Infantry Leader Recruits were studied before and after 3, 5 and 11 months, respectively, of British Army basic training. Before basic training the mean maximal oxygen uptake predicted from cycle ergometry (pred VO2max) for Adult Artillery Recruits was 56.1 ml (kg min)-1. It was 58.3 ml (kg min)-1 for the Junior Infantry Soldier Recruits and 58.0 ml (kg min)-1 for the Junior Infantry Leader Recruits. For Adult Artillery Recruits, after basic training there were statistically significant increases in body weight (+2.1%) and pred VO2max (+3.6%) but mixed responses for muscular strength, endurance and fatigue. For Junior Infantry Soldier Recruits, there was no significant change in body weight but a significant reduction in pred VO2max (-2.4%) and a trend towards increased isometric muscular strength. For Junior Infantry Leader Recruits, there were significant increases in body weight (+4.9%), pred VO2max (+3.0%), and isometric muscular strength. These results suggest that the intensity and nature of 3 months of basic training for Adult Artillery Recruits was sufficient to improve their aerobic fitness but was not effective in materially improving muscular strength and endurance. The intensity and nature of basic training for Junior Infantry Soldier Recruits over 5 months was effective in increasing muscular strength but resulted in a decrease in aerobic fitness possibly on account of their high initial fitness level. Basic training over 11 months for Junior Infantry Leader recruits was effective in increasing body weight, aerobic fitness and muscular strength. This may have reflected a change in the intensity and nature of training and in lifestyle after the initial 5 months of basic training, which was undertaken in common with the Junior Infantry Soldier Recruits, or it may be related to normal ageing.
Measurement of the metabolic cost of walking inconveniences subjects, and requires skilled technical support and expensive equipment. These factors have stimulated interest in predictive equations. The present study assessed existing equations. Under each of 17 combinations of gradient (0-6%) and carried load (4.1-37.4 kg), 7-12 men undertook treadmill walking at 1.67 m/s. Measured oxygen consumption and respiratory exchange ratio were used to calculate metabolic rate (MRobserved). Metabolic rate was also predicted from the equation of Pandolf et al. (1977) (MRpandolf) and, where appropriate, from another five equations relating to walking without loads. MRobserved and MRpandolf did not differ significantly (p greater than 0.05) under any combination of gradient and load. The overall mean MRobserved and MRpandolf of 609 W and 602 W, respectively, also did not differ significantly (p greater than 0.05). These variables were highly correlated (r = 0.94) with a standard deviation about the prediction error of 47 W. For level walking without loads, the mean predictions from the equations of Pandolf et al. (1977) and Cotes and Meade (1960) did not differ significantly (p greater than 0.05) from the mean MRobserved of 428 Watts, but four other equations overestimated by 17-74 W. In conclusion, the Pandolf et al. (1977) equation has given good results across the range of combinations of load and gradient tested, and the errors are considered acceptable for most practical purposes.
Run velocity at the onset of blood lactate accumulation (vOBLA) has been reported to be highly correlated with performance in endurance runs. From capillary blood samples taken during incremental treadmill running, vOBLA and the blood lactate concentration at a run speed of 12 km/h (La12) were determined in a group of 11 men which excluded endurance athletes. The inter-relationships between these variables, 4-km run performance and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were investigated. vOBLA and La12 were highly correlated with one another (r = -0.95). Mean 4-km run speed was found to be closely related to vOBLA (r = 0.86), La12 (r = -0.88) and VO2max (r = 0.86). Reproducibility of both vOBLA and La12 was found to be good; test and re-test scores were highly correlated (r greater than or equal to 0.93) and did not differ significantly (p greater than 0.05). The present study suggests that vOBLA may be a valid and reproducible predictor of run performance in individuals who are not endurance athletes. It was not, however, found to be better in these respects than La12, the measurement of which would be easier and less traumatic to the subject since it would require less blood sampling.
This study compared power outputs (PO) from both the upper body (UB) and lower body (LB) Wingate tests of anaerobic power between biathletes and control subjects. Ten biathletes (B) selected by the British Ski Federation for potential assignment to the British team and 13 control (C) subjects cranked or pedaled the same Bodyguard ergometer at maximal RPMs for 30 s against resistances of 2.94 and 4.41 J/rev/kg body weight (BW), respectively. POs were calculated in watts (W) and expressed as peak power (PP, highest 5-s interval), mean power (MP, the mean for 30 s), and power decrease (PD, difference between PP and lowest 5-s PO divided by time). Absolute PP and MP for both UB and LB did not differ between groups. A comparison of POs made relative to BW showed B to have higher values than C: 11.25 vs 10.25 W/kg for LB PP (P less than .05) and 9.21 vs 7.96 W/kg for LB MP (P less than .001). The data expressed relative to kg fat free mass (FFM) showed only MP to be significantly greater in B compared with C (P less than .001). Similar PO relationships were found for the UB where PP (P less than .01) and MP (P less than .001) expressed per kg BW and MP (P less than .001) expressed per kg FFM were higher for B than C. Concomitantly, PD was lower in B than C for both the UB (P less than .05) and LB (P less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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