Adapted Marching Distances and Physical Training Decrease Recruits' Injuries and Attrition

Abstract

There is evidence that progressive loading of physical demands at the beginning of basic military service and specific physical training can reduce injury incidences. Therefore, aim of this study was to measure the effects of a progressive increase in marching distances and an adapted physical training program on injury incidence and attrition rate in a Swiss Army infantry training school. One company reduced the distances covered on foot during the first 4 weeks of basic military training. A second company performed an adapted physical training program for 10 weeks. A third company participated in both interventions combined, and a fourth company served as a control group without any intervention. The injury incidences and attrition rates of 651 male recruits were registered during 21 weeks of military service. Several predictor variables for injury and attrition, such as physical fitness, previous injuries, level of previous physical activity, smoking, motivation, and socioeconomic factors, were assessed as well. The data were analyzed using binary logistic backward regressions. Each intervention separately had a favorable effect on injury prevention. However, combining the 2 interventions resulted in the greatest reduction in injury incidence rate (-33%). Furthermore, the adapted physical training successfully reduced the military service attrition rates (-53%).

Physical fitness level affects perception of chronic stress in military trainees

“…To assess duration and frequency of PT during BMT, training instructors had to report training immediately after each training session. As shown in a previous publication on the same subjects by Roos et al (), the time spent for PT in the four investigated companies ranged from 137 up to 151 min per week.…”

“…To measure the physical demands during BMT, recruits wore two uniaxial accelerometers (PARTwear, HuCe microLab, Biel, Switzerland; GT1M, ActiGraph, Pensacola, Florida) and a heart rate monitor (Dual Comfort Belt, Suunto, Vantaa, Finland) from the moment they woke up until they went to bed (see Roos et al, ). Overall, two groups of 25 recruits from each company wore the sensors alternately every other week during Weeks 2 to 9 of BMT.…”

“…Researchers found out that intentional caloric deprivation, limitation of sleep, risk of academic failure, or constant performance evaluation can influence the level of perceived stress (Bernton et al, ). Because of the negative effect of long‐term stress on psychophysiological well‐being and the ensuing high injury and dropout rate during BMT (Hofstetter, Mäder, & Wyss, ; Roos et al, ; Wunderlin et al, ; Wyss, Roos, Hofstetter, Frey, & Mäder, ), psychological research investigating factors that influence the level of perceived stress in recruits and soldiers is needed. Many studies have clearly shown that physical activity protects against high levels of perceived stress (Hansen, Blangsted, Hansen, Søgaard, & Sjøgaard, ; Rimmele et al, ; Seraganian, ).…”

Estudio hermenéutico del entrenamiento Físico militar a nivel mundial

“…Con lo descrito hasta aquí, resulta evidente la necesidad de introducir en la evaluación del entrenamiento militar actual la medición de la fuerza y resistencia de miembros inferiores, adoptando los test que ya se han venido empleando y que han arrojado notables beneficios, pues disminuyen las lesiones y el desgaste de los reclutas, al tiempo que reducen con éxito las tasas de abandono del servicio militar (Roos et al, 2015).…”

The physical fitness test discourse model

“…Needless to say, this has a negative effect on soldier performance and military readiness. Studies of military personnel have shown that lower levels of aerobic capacity (Blacker, Wilkinson, Bilzon, & Rayson, 2008;Knapik et al, 2001;Kupferer et al, 2014;Lisman, O'Connor, Deuster, & Knapik, 2013), lower limb functional capacity (Larsson & Harms-Ringdahl, 2006), and low muscular endurance (Grier, Morrison, Knapik, Canham-Chervak, & Jones, 2011;Knapik et al, 2001;Kupferer et al, 2014;Larsson & Harms-Ringdahl, 2006;Wyss, Von, Frey, & MäDer, 2012) are all associated with increased risk of injuries. Accordingly, armed forces in general invest in fitness policies sensitive to soldiers' physical fitness status.…”