SOLDIERS AS TACTICAL ATHLETES: INCORPORATING MILITARY DRILL WITHIN A ... INTRODUCTION: The treatment and evaluation of soldiers as tactical ...
SOLDIERS AS TACTICAL ATHLETES: INCORPORATING MILITARY DRILL WITHIN A PERIODISED TRAINING PROGRAMME. C, Connaboy1, N, Lyall1, RJ, Simpson2, SM, Graham3, GF, Florida-James1, & S, Coleman4 1 School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, UK 2 Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, University of Houston, USA 3 School of Science, University of West of the Scotland, UK 4 Physical Education Sport and Leisure Studies, Edinburgh University, UK INTRODUCTION: The treatment and evaluation of soldiers as tactical athletes is becoming more commonplace within recent literature (Sanderson, 2010). The identification of soldiers as tactical athletes enables researchers and physical trainers to employ the same principles and methods normally related to the preparation and treatment of sporting athletes. One of the principle mechanisms by which an athlete’s training practices are optimised is the ‘Needs Analysis’ process (NAP); identifying the key physiological, movement and injury related requirements for a specific athlete within a sport. The NAP allows the strengths and weakness of the individual to be matched against the requirements of the activities to be performed. This understanding has led to the formation of the Soldiers Performance, Assessment and Rehabilitation as Tactical Athletes (SPARTA) research programme at Edinburgh Napier University. An initial area of research within the SPARTA programme is the identification of the soldiers ‘needs’ with respect to their training and participation in military drill, and the implications for its inclusion within a periodised programme of physical training for recruit soldiers. The purpose of the present study was to determine the vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) and rate of force development (RFD) experienced by novice drill performers to provide information necessary to complete an effective needs analysis of recruit soldiers. METHODS: 12 student volunteers (eight males/four females mean±SD: age 23.4±4.1 years, height 1.76±0.31m, mass 80.61±20.41kg) with no prior military drill experience took part. Ethical approval was gained from the local university ethics committee. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. vGRF data were collected (Kistler force platform at 1000Hz) from the appropriate (moving) foot during each of the four drill movements (i) Stand at ease (SaE), (ii) Halt, (iii) Quick March and (iv) Attention (Shun). Participants wore training shoes for all drill movements. To provide a comparison with marching, the vGRF data of a ‘normal’ walking gait were also collected. The RFD was calculated as the change in vGRF ÷ time. Each participant was given a 10-minute period of coaching in the correct execution of the drill movements. Five trials of each movement were performed in a randomised order with 45 seconds rest between each trial. RESULTS: Military Drill
Mean (±S.D)
Stand at Ease
2.69
(1.01)
Halt
3.06
(1.16)
Quick March
1.54
(0.35)
Attention
2.57
(0.86)
Walk
1.13
(0.08)
Figure 1 Normalised Rate of Force Development
Normalised RFD (BW)
Table 1 Average Peak vGRF (±S.D.) relative to Body Weight (BW)
300 250 200 150 100 50 0 SaE
Halt
March
Shun
Walk
Drill Movement
DISCUSSION: The mean peak vGRF data shown above are comparable with vGRF data apparent in high level plyometric drills (Jensen & Ebben, 2007) a modality of training more commonly associated with more experienced and better conditioned athletes. The high values of vGRF apparent in plyometric drills have previously been used as a rationale to delay their inclusion into a periodised training programme until such time that an athlete’s body is physically conditioned to cope with such high loads (Baechle & Earle, 2000). The RFD values (Figure 1) for SaE, Shun and Halt are greater than those experienced in high loading sporting actions (Long jump take-off, triple jump transition drop jump, etc). However, the osteogenic effects of such high (and repetitive) RFD have yet to be fully explained. Therefore, given the vGRF and RFD values apparent from the military drill data, it would appear appropriate that the introduction and scheduling of drill within the recruit training programme should be carefully considered and monitored in conjunction with the physical fitness training as a means to mitigate the potential for injury. Future work is required to analyse the osteogenic response to levels of vGRF and RFD experienced in military drill and a more detailed 3D analysis of drill techniques are required to identify keys structures which may be compromised by loadings experienced during drill. REFERENCES: Baechle, TR and Earle, RW. (2000) Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, Human Kinetics Pub. Jensen, RL and Ebben, WP. (2007) Journal of Strength of Conditioning Research, Vol. 21(3), pp. 763-767. Sanderson, PW. (2010) Defence Management Journal, pp 140-141. Weeks and Becks (2008) Osteoporosis International, Vol. 19, pp.1567–1577 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors would like to thank The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland for the research grant to fund the study.
