Sex differences in the physical performance, physiological, and psycho-cognitive responses to military operational stress

Abstract

ABSTRACT Combat roles are physically demanding and expose service personnel to operational stressors such as high levels of physical activity, restricted nutrient intake, sleep loss, psychological stress, and environmental extremes. Women have recently integrated into combat roles, but our knowledge of the physical, physiological, and psycho-cognitive responses to these operational stressors in women is limited. The aim of this narrative review was to evaluate the evidence for sex-specific physical, physiological, and psycho-cognitive responses to real, and simulated, military operational stress. Studies examining physical and cognitive performance, body composition, metabolism, hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and psychological health outcomes were evaluated. These studies report that women expend less energy and lose less body mass and fat-free mass, but not fat mass, than men. Despite having similar physical performance decrements as men during operational stress, women experience greater physiological strain than men completing the same physical tasks, but this may be attributed to differences in fitness. From limited data, military operational stress suppresses hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal, but not hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal, axis function in both sexes. Men and women demonstrate different psychological and cognitive responses to operational stress, including disturbances in mood, with women having a higher risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms compared with men. Based on current evidence, separate strategies to maximize selection and combat training are not warranted until further data directly comparing men and women are available. However, targeted exercise training programmes may be advisable to offset the physical performance gap between sexes and optimize performance prior to inevitable declines caused by intense military operations.