Date of Award

Spring 2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education (MSEd)

Department

Human Movement Sciences

Program/Concentration

Exercise Science and Wellness

Committee Director

David P. Swain

Committee Member

Sheri R. Colberg

Committee Member

Stacie I. Ringleb

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.E44 W345 2011

Abstract

Strenuous physical activity in extreme environments is an important part of the activities of military personnel. The average infantry combat load for an infantry on the loaded tasks. Subjects performed an outdoor 4.8-km run and four maximal treadmill tests wearing the loads listed above. Subjects' pulmonary function was tested with load prior to each treadmill session. Peak values of heart rate, VO2, exercise ventilation, and respiratory exchange ratio were measured at the end of each maximal treadmill test. Significant decreases were found in pulmonary function measures (FEV1, FVC and MVV) with increasing load. Most peak responses during treadmill exercise, VO2peak, HRpeak, and VEpeak, decreased with increasing load. However, RERpeak did not decrease, which was unexpected. More research is needed to explain the lack of decrease in RERpeak. The ratio of VEpeak to MVV remained constant with increasing load, suggesting that the decreased performance with load was due to a limitation in breathing capacity. There was not a strong correlation between body mass or lean body mass and performance on the loaded treadmill tasks. The only exception to this was that males showed significant correlation between body mass and performance on the 30-kg trial. More research needs to be done with a group of subjects of more uniform fitness level to determine if loaded treadmill tests show a more significant correlation with body mass. Also, this study confirmed that an unloaded distance run is strongly related to unloaded uphill treadmill performance, but is more poorly related as load is increased on the treadmill test, suggesting that traditional unloaded run tests are not an effective means of evaluating aerobic perfom1ance for military field operations.

which was unexpected. More research is needed to explain the lack of decrease in RERpeak The ratio of VEpeak to MVV remained constant with increasing load, suggesting that the decreased performance with load was due to a limitation in breathing capacity. There was not a strong correlation between body mass or lean body mass and performance on the loaded treadmill tasks. The only exception to this was that males showed significant correlation between body mass and performance on the 30-kg trial. More research needs to be done with a group of subjects of more uniform fitness level to determine if loaded treadmill tests show a more significant correlation with body mass. Also, this study confirmed that an unloaded distance run is strongly related to unloaded uphill treadmill performance, but is more poorly related as load is increased on the treadmill test, suggesting that traditional unloaded run tests are not an effective means of evaluating aerobic perfom1ance for military field operations.

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DOI

10.25777/290q-yq63

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