Psychological Adaptation of Normal Weight and Overweight Women During Marine Corps Recruit Training

Abstract

Changes in mood states during periods of intense exercise and stress have been reported. However, variations in mood states have not been assessed during military basic training, e.g., Marine Corps (USMC) Recruit Training (RT). The intensive 12-week RT course challenges recruits to meet unaccustomed physical and lifestyle demands, and female recruits exceeding USMC weight-for-height requirements participate in a weight loss program, subjecting them to additional stress. PURPOSE: To examine if mood patterns differ by weight status of women during the USMC RT course. METHODS: Women (n=107, aged 18–29 y) volunteered to complete the Profile of Mood States (POMS) weekly during the 12-week RT course. The POMS is a self-report mood questionnaire with six factor-analytically derived subscales. Seventy women completed the study with n=46 and n=24 meeting (MEET) or exceeding (EXCEED) USMC weight-for-height requirement, respectively. Regression analysis was used to determine if weight loss predicted training week 12 POMS scores. RESULTS: EXCEED had a greater BMI than MEET, 24.7 ±0.8 kg/m2vs. 21.5 ± 1.4 kg/m2(p≤0.0005). Weight loss was greatest in EXCEED (−5.3 ± 2.4 kg vs. −3.1 ± 2.7 kg, p≤0.001). MEET volunteers started RT with greater tension and lower vigor scores compared to college-aged norms, (p≤0.004), with a trend towards greater depression, anger, and confusion scores (table). In contrast, EXCEED had higher tension scores (p≤0.0005) with a trend towards higher anger scores. Both groups showed substantial changes in POMS scores during RT. By training week 12 the POMS scores of the MEET group were lower than college-age norms (p≤0.0005) except for vigor (p=NS). Similarly, at week 12 the EXCEED group had lower POMS scores than college-aged norms (p≤0.0005) except for anger and vigor (p=NS). Weight loss was a weak predictor of lower fatigue scores at training week 12 (p=0.03) (weight status, MEET or EXCEED, was not a predictor, p=NS). However, R2 was only 0.07.TableCONCLUSION: Women recruits adapted to the stress of RT regardless of weight status. Weight loss was not predictive of final POMS scores.