Fitness and Performance Responses to Load Carriage Specific Training in Reserved Officers Training Corps

Abstract

BackgroundThe University of Oklahoma Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) competes in a 26.2‐mile load‐carriage event entitled the Bataan Memorial Death March. Command has been dissatisfied with their performance in previous years and has decided to implement a specific load carriage training protocol for cadets competing in the march. While previous work has indicated that load‐carriage programs can improve load carriage performance, it is unclear how this additional training affects indices of physical fitness and performance beyond the standard physical training of military personnel.AimsTo assess how a load carriage specific training protocol affects performance at the annual Bataan Memorial Death March and to identify which physiological indices that may be altered by this training.Methods16 ROTC cadets (n = 8 males, 8 females) were examined. Command placed 8 cadets (n= 4 males, 4 females) scheduled to compete in the Bataan March in an 8‐week load carriage training protocol (LC), while the remaining 8 cadets (n=4 males, 4 females) completed an 8‐week standard Army Physical Training program (PT). Aerobic fitness and muscular endurance were assessed by the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), consisting of a two‐mile run, number of pushups and sit‐ups in two minutes. Body composition was assessed by skinfold (SKF) measurements, and neuromuscular indices included concentric and eccentric mean power (EMP, CMP) and jump height (JH). These metrics were measured utilizing the countermovement jump (CMJ) on a dual‐cell force plate. Body composition and neuromuscular assessments were conducted pre‐training and 3 days post‐performance of a 26.2‐mile load carriage event at 5 km elevation. APFT assessments were conducted prior to and post‐training protocol.ResultsChange (Δ) pre‐to‐post training ± SD. Load carriage performance improved from the previous year (Δ−84 min, d= 2.47). Two mile run time improved in LC (Δ−28 ± 70s, p= 0.01) and was unchanged in PT (Δ+3 ± 137s, p= 0.40). Despite the large effect size (d= −1.08) change in run time was not different between LC and PT (p=0.07). LC improved number of sit‐ups (Δ+5 ± 5, p= 0.04), but did not alter number of push‐ups (Δ−2 ± 14, p= 0.32) in two minutes. PT did not improve either sit up (Δ+0.5 ± 12, p= 0.40) or push up (Δ−1 ± 22, p= 0.30) performance. LC decreased CMP (Δ−2 ± −1.50 Nm, p= 0.008) and overall JH (Δ−4 ± 1.80 cm, p= 0.025) posttraining. Decline in JH and CMP was not observed in PT (Δ0.60 ± 4 Nm, p= 0.25, Δ0.75 cm ± 0.40 cm, p= 0.30), respectively. No other significant differences in neuromuscular indices were detected. Pre‐post improvements in SKF chest occurred for both groups (LC=Δ−3 ± 0.50 cm, PT=Δ−4 ± −2 cm, p< 0.01).ConclusionLoad carriage specific training improved long‐distance load carriage performance and aerobic fitness, while diminishing JH and CMP. PT has no effect on parameters of aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, and neuromuscular performance. Thus, improvement of load‐carriage performance following a load carriage specific training protocol may be attributed to an increase in aerobic fitness while neuromuscular indices may be attenuated.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.