Female Cadets Research Articles

Military Parachuting Injuries among Male and Female Cadet Pilots: A Prospective Study of 59,932 Jumps

To explore the injury mechanism and prevent injuries for the military parachuting of cadet pilots, this paper investigated the injury risk factors. A prospective study of 59,932 static line parachute descents by Chinese People’s Liberation Army cadet pilots (CPLACP), including 186 female cadet pilots with 391 jumps, was performed. Injury risk factors from administrative records included mental qualities, parachuting movements, surface wind speed, protective boots, and gender. Injury data were obtained from emergency room and hospital records. The study indicates that 153 CPLACP were injured, with a total of 168 injuries. The overall injury incidence on basic courses was 2.6/1000 jumps. About 79.7% of the injuries were located in the lower limbs. The most commonly injured sites were ankle and knee, which was 39.3% and 19.0%, respectively, of all injuries occurred. Although the parachuting injury incidence of cadet pilots is smaller than paratroopers’, the potential risk for career-threatening or life-threatening injury is great. This risk can be reduced by appropriate training and attention to detail.

Attitudes toward women in policing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare Taiwanese male and female cadets’ attitudes toward women in policing. Specifically, this study assesses whether female and male recruits differ in: their assessment of women in policing; and their preferred roles of women in policing. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were conducted with 438 cadets (229 males and 209 females) who received recruitment training at the Taiwan Police College in 2011. This methodology provided a rich sample to explore police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing. Findings – Although male cadets had reservations about females’ capability and physical strength in handling certain aspects of police work, they supported women being assigned to equal or similar duties as men upon entry into the police force. Compared to male cadets, female cadets were more likely to perceive females as being competent as males and thus adequate for police work. Nevertheless, female cadets were reluctant to embrace women's integration into police work, which might require them to perform duties similar to or the same as those of men, such as patrol. Research limitations/implications – It should be noted that the survey in the current study was conducted while recruits were going through training at the police college. The authors cannot rule out the possibility that surveys conducting under this type of circumstances may result in socially desirable responses. Future study should include surveys with cadets at different stages of their training (before, between, and at the end of the training) to further examine if the levels of recruits’ receptiveness to gender integration change over time. Practical implications – This finding highlights the importance of equipping female recruits with mental preparation and physical skills. The training at the academy should prepare cadets with the required skills to serve as patrol officers to boost their confidence. Equally important is to provide suitable training to help cadets raise stress awareness and develop coping mechanisms. Originality/value – Most studies conducted in the past have mainly focussed on police officers’ perceptions of women in policing. Only a handful of studies examine future police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing, and most of these studies are conducted in western countries. A better understanding of police recruits’ attitudes toward women in policing in a non-western cultural setting can provide insight into theoretical and policy perspectives related to these issues.

The Epidemiology of Medial Collateral Ligament Sprains in Young Athletes

Background: A medial collateral ligament (MCL) knee sprain is a prevalent injury in athletic populations that may result in significant time lost to injury. Remarkably little is known of the epidemiology of this injury. Purpose: To define the incidence of MCL tears and to determine the demographic and athletic risk factors. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was performed to examine the epidemiology of isolated MCL sprains at the United States Military Academy (USMA) between 2005 and 2009. Charts and radiographic studies were reviewed by an independent orthopaedic surgeon to identify all new isolated MCL sprains resulting in time lost to sport and activity that occurred within the study period. Incidence rates (IRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated per 1000 person-years at risk and by sex, sport, and level of competition. The IR per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs) was also determined. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and respective 95% CIs were calculated between male and female students, intercollegiate and intramural athletes, and male and female intercollegiate athletes involved in selected sports. Chi-square and Poisson regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between the variables of interest and the incidence of MCL sprains, with statistical significance set at P < .05. Results: A total of 128 cadets sustained isolated MCL injuries during 17,606 student person-years from 2005 to 2009. This resulted in an IR of approximately 7.3 per 1000 person-years. Of the 128 injuries, 114 were in male athletes (89%) and 14 were in female athletes (11%). Male cadets had a 44% higher IR than did female cadets (7.60 vs 5.36, respectively), although this was not significant (P = .212). Of 5820 at-risk intercollegiate athletes, 59 (53 male, 6 female) sustained an isolated MCL sprain during 528,523 (407,475 male, 121,048 female) AEs for an overall IR of 10.14 per 1000 person-years and 0.11 per 1000 AEs. The IRR of MCL sprains of men compared with women involved in intercollegiate athletics was 2.87 (95% CI, 1.24-8.18) per 1000 person-years and 2.62 (95% CI, 1.13-7.47) per 1000 AEs. Of 21,805 at-risk intramural athletes, with quarterly participation, 16 (all male) sustained isolated MCL injuries during 225,683 AEs for an overall IR of 0.07 per 1000 AEs. The IRs of MCL injuries of intercollegiate and intramural athletes did not differ significantly. In intercollegiate sports, wrestling (0.57), judo (0.36), hockey (0.34), and rugby (men’s, 0.22; women’s, 0.23) had the highest IRs per 1000 AEs. When examining men’s intercollegiate athletics, the IRRs of wrestling (13.41; 95% CI, 1.80-595.27) and hockey (8.12; 95% CI, 0.91-384.16) were significantly higher compared with that of lacrosse. Among women’s intercollegiate sports as well as intramural sports, there were no significant differences in IRs. A median of 16 days was lost to injury, with 2407 total days lost for all injuries. Grade 1 MCL injuries lost a median of 13.5 days, while higher grade injuries lost a median of 29 days. Conclusion: Medial collateral ligament injuries are relatively common in athletic cohorts. The most injurious sports are contact sports such as wrestling, hockey, judo, and rugby. Male athletes are at a greater risk than female athletes. Intercollegiate athletes are at a greater risk than intramural athletes. The average amount of time lost per injury was 23.2 days, with greater time lost with higher grade sprains than grade 1 sprains.

U.S. Department of Defense's Perspective on Funding for Research on Whole Grains and Health

The mission of military nutrition research is to identify and apply nutritional strategies to sustain and enhance physical and mental performance and maintain the health of military personal conducting extended operations in all environmental extremes. DOD’s nutrition research is conducted at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s (USARIEM) Military Nutrition Division (MND) located in Natick, MA. DOD’s combat ration R&D is conducted by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center in Natick, MA. DOD’s nutrition research and combat ration development programs are highly coordinated and mutually supportive. Combat rations for individual soldiers are designed to be low-weight, low-volume, of high nutrition density, ready-toeat, shelf-stable, and highly acceptable to our war fighters. Because of these design features, combat rations are limited in whole grains but usually contain a bread item. In 1985, the Army leadership requested USARIEM to conduct a series of studies to evaluate the effectiveness of dining facility initiatives to improve soldiers’ eating habits. The focus of the initiatives was to reduce consumption of total fats to not more than 35% of calories. The strategies used included serving low fat milk, educating cooks and diners, and modifying menus, recipes, and food preparation methods. As shown in Table I, these dining facility initiatives were very effective in reducing total fat intakes (% fat calories) in the military dining facilities (DFACs) studied from an average of 45% pre-initiatives to 32% post-initiatives. (1) As shown in Table II, total cholesterol intakes were also greatly reduced and total carbohydrate intakes correspondingly increased in both male and female West Point cadets. (3,4) During the past four years there has been a renewed interest in improving DFACs and the quality of food service. In August 2010, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) awarded a $10.3 M contract to AMARACK for a food transformation initiative (FTI) at six USAF bases. The FTI is a pilot program designed to improve the quality, variety, and availability of food operations and to increase utilization of DFACs by airman and their families. In December 2010, all the Services approved new DOD menu standards with the primary goal of promoting and incorporating healthier foods in the DFACs. All Army DFACs will follow the DOD Menu Standards to include offering sliced bread containing whole grains, whole grain waffles and French toast, whole grain cereals, and whole grain pasta. The Army incorporated the DOD menu standards into a soldier fueling initiative (SFI) announced by LT. General Mark Hertling, Deputy Commanding General for Initial Military Training (IMT) in September 2010. The SFI will modify Army garrison menu standards to promote healthier eating and it will prescribe standardized menus, recipes, preparation methods, and portion sizes at all IMT DFACs. The SFI will also market nutrition awareness and healthier food and beverage choices. A total of twelve Army installations with IMT DFACs will implement the program that is designed to increase IMT soldier fitness and

Analysis of Risk Factors for Military Parachuting Injuries among Chinese Air Force Cadet Pilots

Parachuting injuries among cadet pilots often occur because they undergo extensive training within a short period of time. To explore the injury mechanism and to prevent injuries, this paper investigated the injury risk factors for the military parachuting of cadet pilots. A prospective study of static line parachute descents by Chinese Air Force cadet pilots was performed. The study indicates that 153 cadet pilots were injured, with a total of 168 injuries. The injury rates associated with extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors were compared and analyzed by using orthogonal multivariate analysis. Landing is the most dangerous part of parachuting, causing 88% of injuries. Extrinsic factors associated with increased injury rates are higher surface wind speed and third-generation protective boots. Intrinsic factors associated with reduced injury rates are excellent mental qualities, excellent parachuting movements, and female cadet pilots. Strengthening parachuting movements and mental qualities, approving jumps only when basic parachuting conditions are met, and improving protective equipment are recommended strategies for preventing parachuting injuries.

BROTHERHOOD

In April 2011 a group of young male Australian Defence Force Academy Cadets conspired to prey upon an unsuspecting female colleague. Their plan was to broadcast one of their mates having consensual sex with an unsuspecting female cadet colleague for their viewing pleasure and fratriarchal bonding. The incident generated a strong and heated public debate about military culture and the ways soldiers behave. But it also marked a long end enduring history of such scandals that have developed into a reputation for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) as obdurate and resistant to reform. Indeed, the ADF has consistently neutralised their responsibility for such practices by naming bad behaviour as merely the practices of a few bad apples. This paper unpacks the technologies of camouflage that the ADF and its military subjects' use to justify the role and place of militarism in contemporary Australian cultural relations. The paper focuses on the ideal of brotherhood and the way in which the Skype men, and the ADF as an institution, engage in forms of homosociality to naturalise the inherently violent disposition of the military. The practices and forms of fratriarchal bonding are implicated in the desire to generate and sustain a totalising masculinist economy that seeks wholeness and certainty at the expense of difference and otherness. These concerns are explored through the investigation of the sexual predation of six cadets and the manner in which the ADF accounts for its cultural practices.

What Women Bring to the Fight

ABSTRACT: The recent decision to integrate the US military fully was met with a range of emotions. For some it was a misguided decision that would erode combat effectiveness and have negative consequences for US security. Various objections were raised to justify keeping women out of combat units but most have been demolished by ten years of combat. This article exposes the flaws in two of the more persistent objections: (1) the presence of women in combat units will erode the vital bond that develops between men and (2) women are not as strong as men and so put male soldiers at risk. ********** The recent decision to integrate women fully into the military was met with a range of controversy and emotions on several fronts. For women and many men in the military it was a quietly celebrated milestone. For women outside the military it was lauded as a step toward true equality. For others, it was viewed as a misguided decision that would ultimately erode the combat effectiveness of the military and have negative consequences for US national security. Before the current conflict, a veritable potpourri of objections was raised to justify keeping women out of combat units; almost all those objections have fallen away in the last ten years. The American public has not objected to women being killed or wounded in combat any more than it has to men. Personal hygiene and privacy has not been problematic. Women can keep pace on long-range patrols, and the performance of men overall does not degrade when fighting alongside women. Data from the 2011 class at West Point reveals over 52 percent of female cadets, albeit a select group, passed the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) using the male standards. (1) In short, a percentage of women are just as physically capable as men. Moreover, as new research suggests, women can enhance the combat capabilities of the military from the squad to the joint staff without impairing cohesion. Cohesion is not just linked to common traits such as race, ethnicity, or gender but is based on collective goals and objectives. Recent research also shows small-unit cohesion is not impaired by the addition of women, as once thought. The comments below are intended to reveal what new research says about the benefits of including women at all levels and all branches of the military. Collective Intelligence Carnegie Mellon and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have partnered to examine group or collective intelligence to understand how to optimize team performance. The research shows groups are collectively more intelligent than individuals on a range of simple to complex tasks. Additionally, the research found that a group's collective intelligence tends to increase as the percentage of women in the group increases. Researchers believe this may be due to a trait they call social sensitivity which reflects how well a person can read the emotions of other people. The ability to perceive and sense emotional changes leads to more collaborative patterns of group behavior and women tend to score higher than men in this category. (2) The chart below shows the relational impact the percentage of women in a group had on the collective intelligence of 192 teams tested on a range of simple to complex tasks. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] The study also revealed groups whose conversation is dominated by a single person, or a small portion of the population, are collectively less intelligent than groups where communication is evenly shared. Researchers found groups with more women tended to have a more even communications distribution pattern. (3) If this research is applied to the military, it suggests adding women can strengthen every organization. Our teams, from small unit infantry squads which as yet have no women, to the joint staff, which has less than 20 percent women, are potentially less intelligent than they could be if we were to optimize what women bring to the collective intelligence of groups. …

Determinants of stress fracture risk in United States Military Academy cadets

BackgroundPrior studies have identified some risk factors for stress fracture in athletes and military recruits. ObjectiveTo determine whether historical factors, physical measures, biochemical variables of skeletal metabolism, genetic factors, bone density (BMD) and bone size could predict risk of stress fracture over 4years in physically fit cadets at the US Military Academy (USMA). MethodsBaseline surveys, assessments of height, weight, scores on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and peripheral BMD were obtained in all cadets (755 men, 136 women), and central BMD in a subset. Blood samples were analyzed for variables of calcium homeostasis, bone turnover, and selected hormones and genetic factors. Stress fractures were adjudicated by review of orthopedic notes and imaging reports. Results5.7% of male and 19.1% of female cadets had at least 1 stress fracture (58% metatarsal and 29% tibial), most within 3months of entry to USMA. In males, risk of stress fracture was higher in those who exercised <7h per week during the prior year (RR 2.31; CI 1.29,4.12), and in those with smaller tibial cortical area (RR 1.12; CI 1.03,1.23), lower tibial bone mineral content (RR 1.11; CI 1.03,1.20) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.35, CI 1.01, 1.81). In women, higher stress fracture risk was seen in those with shorter time since menarche (RR 1.44 per year; CI 1.19, 1.73) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.16; CI 1.01, 1.33.). ConclusionAlthough prior physical training in men, length of prior estrogen exposure in women and leg bone dimensions in both genders played a role, the maximum variance explained by all of these factors was below 10%. We conclude these factors play a minor role in the development of stress fractures in physically fit USMA cadets.

Analysis of the Facial Anthropometric Data of Korean Pilots for Oxygen Mask Design

The present study measured Korean pilots’ facial dimensions to design a pilot oxygen mask which would fit Korean pilots, and compared Korean pilots’ facial dimensions to Korean male civilians and US male pilots’ facial characteristics. The present study selected the 22 facial anthropometric dimensions related to oxygen mask design by referring to previous studies. The facial dimensions of 366 Korean male and female pilots (including 52 female cadets of the Korean Air Force Academy) were measured using Martin’s anthropometer and 3D scanner. Korean male pilots’ faces were significantly larger (mean difference = 1.3 ~ 27.0 mm) and less variable (ratio in SD = 0.29 ~ 0.85) than Korean male civilians’ faces ( α = 0.05), which indicates that facial anthropometric data derived from Korean pilots should be used to design the oxygen mask for Korean pilots. In terms of criteria of the oxygen mask sizing system which is currently based upon the US Air Force anthropometric data (face length and lip width), Korean male pilots were significantly longer on face length (mean difference = 4.7 mm) and narrower on lip width (mean difference = -2.4 mm) than US male pilots ( α = 0.05), which indicates that the oxygen mask sizing system as well as the oxygen mask shape should be changed for Korean pilots. Additionally, Korean male pilots have wider nasal roots (mean difference = 5.2 mm) than US male pilots, which indicates that the shape of nose of the current oxygen mask should be widened. Lastly, Korean female pilots’ facial dimensions were significantly smaller (mean difference = 0.6 ~ 26.1 mm) than Korean male pilots ( α = 0.05), which indicates that Korean female pilots’ facial characteristics need to be considered in the design of oxygen masks which fit Korean pilots.

Sports perfection as the fundamental condition of female cadets physical self-education in the education process of military academy

Sports perfection as the fundamental condition of female cadets physical self-education in the education process of military academy

Special Issue: New Horizons for Optimal Performance

Special Issue: New Horizons for Optimal Performance

U.S. Coast Guard Academy Injury and Risk Factor Study

PURPOSE: Injury rates were examined in cadets undergoing a 6-week Summer Warfare Annual Basic Training (SWAB) program at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. SWAB training was recently implemented at the U.S. Coast Guard as a Physical Readiness Training program METHODS: 778 men and 286 women from four years of classes of freshman cadets participated in the physical training activities in SWAB training. The U.S. Coast Guard Physical Fitness test was administered pre and post training. Injuries were recorded throughout the training. RESULTS: Women exhibited a significantly (p = 0.000) lower body mass and BMI than men. Men showed significantly (p = 0.00) higher entry-level fitness measures than women on all measures. However, at the end of training women made greater improvements in 1.5 mile run times and narrowed the gap with men through their sit-up performance. During SWAB training, relative risk of injury for women versus men was over 1 (RR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6, p = 0.02). A majority of injuries for men and women were overuse soft tissue injuries. Relative risk of overuse injury for women versus men was over 1 (RR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1, p = 0.002). Women experienced over twice as many ankle (RR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.5, p = 0.002) and lower leg (RR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.5, p = 0.001) injuries. Overall traumatic injuries were not significantly higher in men versus women CONCLUSIONS: Female freshman cadets appear to be more at risk for overuse type lower extremity injuries. However, improvements in aerobic and muscular endurance observed in the female cadets suggest that women enter training less fit than their own fitness potential. Perhaps remedial strength and conditioning programs for less fit cadets would reduce injuries and decrease the gender difference in injury risk in SWAB training.

Longitudinal Study of Sleep Patterns of United States Military Academy Cadets

The study provided an opportunity to observe sleep patterns in a college-age population attending the United States Military Academy. This 4-year longitudinal study investigated sleep patterns of cadets. A stratified sample of 80 cadets had sleep patterns monitored using actigraphy for 8 months: one month in both fall and spring academic semesters over a 4-year period. Data were collected at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. Participants were members of the class of 2007 (n˜1300) ranging in age from 17 to 22 when entering USMA. A sample of the class (n=80) wore wrist activity monitors and completed activity logs for one month in fall and spring academic semesters for the 4-year period. On average over the 4 years, cadets slept<5.5 h on school nights. Cadets napped extensively, perhaps in an attempt to compensate for chronic sleep debt. Cadets slept more during fall than spring semesters. Male and female cadet sleep patterns varied dramatically, with males consistently receiving less sleep than females (˜21 m for nighttime sleep and ˜23 m for daily sleep). Cadet sleep at USMA is related to academic year, semester, season, sex, school day or weekend, and day of the week. These students suffer from chronic sleep debt. Restrictions imposed by the military academy limit the generalizability of the findings to other college age populations.

A comparison of physical fitness among each grade of Korea Military Academy male and female cadets

A comparison of physical fitness among each grade of Korea Military Academy male and female cadets

Manifestations of Power and Control: Training as the Catalyst for Scandal at the United States Air Force Academy

This article explores the role of training practices at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in perpetuating power and control issues and the potential consequences of those practices. This article also includes an overview of the training practices at the USAFA, issues of power and control manifested in the training process, and gendered reactions to the loss of personal control experienced during the initial socialization training.The author argues that cadet responses to control deprivation may have resulted in the (alleged) sexual assaults by male cadets and the eating disorders manifested by female cadets, both of which ultimately represent violence against women. The article concludes with implications for research and practice, including a call for recognizing the strategic role of training in forming organizational culture.

Soldier Performance in High Operations Tempo Conditions: West Point Contributions

Faculty and cadets at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) are vitally involved in the Sustaining Performance Under Stress project. A cadet research team completed an experiment that found that a cognitive prime presented during a cortically aroused state was more effective than startle-based prime in maintaining vigilance in a simulated command and control monitoring task. In addition, over 20 male and female West Point cadet athletes served as research participants in experiments conducted at the University of Texas, thus increasing the generalization of the results to the target military population. Finally, West Point military faculty served as subject matter experts to the project to help maintain a valid operational focus.

Comparison of DEXA, Hydrostatic and Anthropometrical Body Composition Methods in College-age Men and Women

Accurate and repeatable body composition measurements can aid individuals in tracking and modifying diet and exercise programs for health and performance and further scientific understanding of body composition related health risks. PURPOSE: To compare three methods for estimating body composition in men and women: dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), hydrodensitometry, and anthropometry. METHODS: Individuals' body composition was measured via all three methods twice on the same day and then compared to determine relative accuracy and precision of each method. DEXA measurements of the total body were made by using a Prodigy Advance fan-beam densitometer. For the hydrodensitometry measurement, the Siri equation was used to compute body fat percentage. Using circumference of the neck, waist, (men and women)? and hip (women only), body fat was estimated using anthropometrical regression equations. Subjects were 35 male and 35 female cadets with an average age of 20 years. RESULTS: Body fat percentages for women were significantly lower (p < 0.05) using the hyrodensitometry (20.8 ± 5.75%) method vs. the DEXA (25.0 ± 6.56%) and the anthropometrical (24.7 ± 4.69%) methods. However, there were no significant difference between body composition method estimates in males: DEXA (13.9 ± 5.87%), hydrodensitometry (13.6 ± 5.28%), and anthropometrical (13.3 ± 4.56%). Test-retest reliability was evaluated using a Pearson R correlation. The DEXA (R = 0.998) method was slightly more repeatable than the hydrodensitometry method (R = 0.980). Only one series of measurements was conducted for the anthropometrical method, so test-retest reliability was not calculated. CONCLUSIONS: DEXA, hydrostatic, and anthropometric body fat estimation methods were similar for college-age men, while the hydrodensitometry method resulted in a significantly lower body fat estimate for women compared to DEXA and anthropometric methods. Further research is necessary to investigate this gender-related disparity. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Negative energy balance in male and female rangers: effects of 7 d of sustained exercise and food deprivation

A challenging 7-d ranger field exercise (FEX) by cadets in the Norwegian Military Academy provided a venue in which to study the effects of negative energy balance. We quantified total energy expenditure (TEE), food intake, and changes in body composition in male and female cadets. TEE (measured by doubly labeled water), food intake, activity patterns (measured by accelerometry), and body composition (measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured in 16 cadets (10 men and 6 women aged 21-27 y). The physically active (approximately 23 h/d) and semistarved (0.2-2.2 MJ/d) cadets lost weight (x +/- SD: men, -7.7 +/- 1.1 kg; women, -5.9 +/- 1.1 kg; P < 0.05). Absolute TEE differed by sex (men, 26.6 +/- 2.0 MJ/d; women, 21.9 +/- 2.0 MJ/d; P < 0.05) but body weight-specific TEE did not (men, 343 +/- 26 kJ . kg(-1) . d(-1); women, 354 +/- 18 kJ . kg(-1) . d(-1); NS). Fat-free mass (FFM) loss differed significantly by sex (men, -4.0 +/- 1.2 kg; women, -2.5 +/- 1.1 kg; P < 0.05), but percentage FFM loss did not (men, -6.3 +/- 1.9%; women, -5.6 +/- 2.4%). In contrast, absolute FM loss did not differ significantly by sex (men, -3.45 +/- 0.72 kg; women, -3.42 +/- 0.22 kg), but fat oxidation (men, 5.2 +/- 1.0 mg . min(-1) . kg FFM(-1); women, 7.3 +/- 0.5 mg . min(-1) . kg FFM(-1)) and the relative contribution of FM to TEE (men, 74 +/- 14%; women, 89 +/- 6%) were significantly greater in women than in men (P < 0.05). Female cadets maintained a significantly more fat-predominant fuel metabolism than did male cadets in response to sustained exercise and semistarvation.

Physical Fitness Profile of Army ROTC Cadets

One role of Army Reserved Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) programs is to physically prepare cadets for the demands of a military career. Cadets participate in physical training 3 days per week as part of their military science curriculum. Limited research has been conducted on the fitness level of ROTC cadets; therefore, the purpose of this study was to profile the physical fitness status of a cadre of ROTC cadets. Forty-three cadets (30 men and 13 women) performed Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) assessments (2-mile run, 2-minute maximum push-ups and sit-ups) and clinical assessments of fitness (Bruce protocol Vo(2)max, underwater weighing, and 1 repetition maximum [1RM] bench press tests). Mean +/- standard deviations were calculated to provide the physical fitness profile for each parameter. Male cadets (21 +/- 2.2 years; height 177.4 +/- 6.6 cm; mass 79.2 +/- 9.4 kg) scored 49.6 +/- 6.1 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) for Vo(2)max, 14.8 +/- 4.2% fat, 86.5 +/- 24.9 kg 1RM bench press, 2-mile run of 13.97 +/- 1.4 minutes, 70.5 +/- 12.8 sit-ups, and 60.2 +/- 13.2 push-ups. Female cadets (20 +/- 2.4 years; height 165.1 +/- 8.0 cm; mass 63.5 +/- 10.0 kg) scored 40.8 +/- 3.9 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) for Vo(2) max, 23.9 +/- 3.8% fat, 35.3 +/- 8.2 kg 1RM bench press, 2-mile run of 17.0 +/- 1.6 minutes, 65.0 +/- 12.9 sit-ups, and 33.3 +/- 11.2 push-ups. The mean scores were above the 83rd percentile on all APFT items and average (percent fat) to above average (Vo(2)max and men's bench press scores) when compared with peer-age and sex-corrected norms. Only the women's bench press score was below average. With the exception of the women's bench press, these ROTC cadets possessed average to above average levels of fitness.

Risk factors associated with noncontact injury of the anterior cruciate ligament: a prospective four-year evaluation of 859 West Point cadets.

The causes of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury remain an enigma. To prospectively evaluate risk factors for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in a large population of young athletic people. Prospective cohort study. In 1995, 1198 new United States Military Academy cadets underwent detailed testing and many parameters were documented. During their 4-year tenure, all anterior cruciate ligament injuries that occurred were identified. Statistical analyses were used to identify the factors that may have predisposed the cadets to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Among the 895 cadets who completed the entire 4-year study, there were 24 noncontact anterior cruciate ligament tears (16 in men, 8 in women). Significant risk factors included small femoral notch width, generalized joint laxity, and, in women, higher than normal body mass index and KT-2000 arthrometer values that were 1 standard deviation or more above the mean. The presence of more than one of these risk factors greatly increased the relative risk of injury. All female cadets who had some combination of risk factors sustained noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries, indicating that some combinations of factors are especially perilous to the female knee. Several risk factors may predispose young athletes to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury.