Soldier Performance and Mood States Following a Strenuous Road March

Abstract

Eighty-nine soldiers performed a maximal effort 20 km road march, carrying a total load of 46 kg. Compared to pre-march values, post-march marksmanship accuracy decreased 26% for number of target hits and 33% for distance from the centroid of the target. Maximal grenade throw distance decreased 9%, but there was no change in maximal vertical jump height. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire revealed an 82% increase in self- reported fatigue and 38% decrease in vigor. Significant decrements in some aspects of military performance occur when soldiers march rapidly with heavy loads over long distances. Keywords: Exercise, Fatigue, Marksmanship, Profile of Mood States, Vertical jump.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA217895

Entities

People

  • James Vogel
  • Jeffery S Staab
  • Joseph J Knapik
  • Katy Reynolds
  • Michael Bahrke

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Army
  • Artillery
  • Availability
  • Body Regions
  • Body Weight
  • Heart Rate
  • Index Terms
  • Marksmanship
  • Military Research
  • Questionnaires
  • Rifles
  • Schools
  • Shoulder
  • Small Arms
  • Universities
  • Upper Extremity

Readers

  • Exercise and Sports Science.