Monitoring Warfighter's Physical Performance During Sustained Operations Using a Field Expedient Jumping Test

Abstract

A sensitive, reliable, field expedient physical performance test would be a valuable tool for monitoring training progress and experimental interventions. We hypothesized that repetitive unloaded jump tests could be used to monitor physical performance status. Twenty-nine U.S. Marines attending Infantry Officer Course performed 1, 5 and 30 repetition unloaded counter-movement squat jumps (UJ) to assess the efficacy of UJ for monitoring physical performance pre and post and 8-d field exercise composed of near continuous work, sleep disruption and underfeeding (SUSOPS). Peak jump height and power were highest using 1UJ (p<0.05) and fell 4.9 and 8.9%, respectively after SUSOPS (p<0.05). Jump power fell progressively over 30 UJ (19-20%), but SUSOPS had no affect on rate of fatigue. 5UJ offered no advantages over 1UJ and was inadequate to examine changes in muscle fatiguability. In conclusion, 1UJ was a sensitive, easy to implement, physical performance test for monitoring the impact of military training on warfighter readiness.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA433392

Entities

People

  • A. P. Tuckow
  • Bradley C. Nindl
  • J. A. Alemany
  • P. N. Frykman
  • S. J. Montain
  • T. T. Welsh

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Army
  • Body Composition
  • Body Water
  • Body Weight
  • Experimental Design
  • Infantry
  • Intervention
  • Military Research
  • Military Training
  • Monitoring
  • Muscles
  • Musculoskeletal Physiology
  • Performance Tests
  • Skeletal Muscle
  • Test Methods
  • Training

Readers

  • Exercise and Sports Science.