Perspectives on Aerobic and Strength Influences on Military Physical Readiness: Report of an International Military Physiology Roundtable.

Physical fitness training of military recruits is an enduring focus of armies. This is important for safe and effective performance of general tasks that anyone may have to perform in a military setting as well as preparation for more specialized training in specific job specialties. Decades of studies on occupationally specific physical requirements have characterized the dual aerobic and strength demands of typical military tasks; however, scientifically founded strategies to prepare recruits with a good mix of these 2 physiologically opposing capabilities have not been well established. High levels of aerobic training can compromise resistance training gains and increase injury rates. Resistance training requires a greater commitment of time and resources as well as a greater understanding of the science to produce true strength gains that may be beneficial to military performance. These are critical issues for modern armies with increased demands for well-prepared soldiers and fewer injury losses. The actual physical requirements tied to metrics of success in military jobs are also under renewed examination as women are increasingly integrated into military jobs previously performed only by men. At the third International Congress on Soldiers' Physical Performance, a roundtable of 10 physiologists with military expertise presented comparative perspectives on aerobic and strength training. These topics included the physiological basis of training benefits, how to train effectively, how to measure training effectiveness, considerations for the integration of women, and the big perspective. Key discussion points centered on (a) the significance of findings from research on integrated training, (b) strategies for effective strength development, and

Effects of Patrol Operation on Hydration Status and Autonomic Modulation of Heart Rate of Brazilian Peacekeepers in Haiti.

The stress of operational missions may challenge the maintenance of body homeostasis, affecting soldiers' cardiac autonomic control, promoting dehydration, and compromising performance. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of peacekeeper patrol operation in Haiti on soldiers' hydration status and cardiac autonomic modulation, and to determine whether fluctuations in autonomic modulation were associated with changes in hydration status, energy expenditure (EE), and aerobic fitness (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max). A group of 20 soldiers (23.5 ± 4.7 years; V[Combining Dot Above]O2max 52.9 ± 4.5 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) completed an operational patrol mission with a mean duration of 160.6 ± 28.6 minutes. Before (Pre) and after (Post) the operation, the soldiers' body masses (BMs) were measured and 5-minute heart rate interbeat (R-R) intervals were recorded at rest to estimate heart rate variability (low-frequency [LF] and high-frequency [HF] power, and sympathovagal balance [LF/HF]). During the mission, EE was estimated using heart rate (HR) monitors. Changes from Pre to Post in BM (%BM loss) and LF/HF (ΔLF/HF) were used to evaluate the soldiers' dehydration levels and autonomic modulation, respectively. The mean EE was 711.0 ± 208.7 kcal. From pre to post, increases (p < 0.01) were noted in LF normalized units (n.u.) and LF/HF and decreases (p < 0.01) were noted in BM, R-R interval, and HF n.u. The variation in ΔLF/HF correlated with EE (r = 0.49; p = 0.02), V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (r = -0.42; p = 0.05), and %BM loss (r = 0.53; p = 0.02). The results demonstrated that an operational peacekeeper patrol with an approximate duration of 160 minutes promoted both dehydration and an imbalance in the autonomic modulation of soldiers' HR. The reduction in sympathovagal balance correlated with EE, dehydration, and aerobic conditioning.

Cardiovascular responses to passive static flexibility exercises are influenced by the stretched muscle mass and the Valsalva maneuver.

BACKGROUND: The respiratory pattern is often modified or even blocked during flexibility exercises, but little is known about the cardiovascular response to concomitant stretching and the Valsalva maneuver (VM) in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and rate-pressure product (RPP) during and after large and small muscle group flexibility exercises performed simultaneously with the VM. METHODS: Asymptomatic volunteers (N = 22) with the following characteristics were recruited: age, 22 ± 3 years; weight, 73 ± 6 kg; height, 175 ± 5 cm; HR at rest, 66 ± 9 BPM; and SBP at rest, 113 ± 10 mmHg. They performed two exercises: four sets of passive static stretching for 30 s of the dorsi-flexion (DF) of the gastrocnemius and the hip flexion (HF) of the ischio-tibialis. The exercises were performed with (V+) or without (V-) the VM in a counterbalanced order. The SBP and HR were measured, and the RPP was calculated before the exercise session, at the end of each set, and during a 30-min post-exercise recovery period. RESULTS: The within-group comparisons showed that only the SBP and RPP increased throughout the sets (p < 0.05), but no post-exercise hypotension was detected. The between-group comparisons showed that greater SBP increases were related to the VM and to a larger stretched muscle mass. Differences for a given set were identified for the HR (the HFV+ and HFV- values were higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 BPM), SBP (the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 to 15 mmHg), and RPP (the HFV+ value was higher than the HFV- value by approximately 2000 mmHGxBPM, and the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 4000 mmHGxBPM). CONCLUSION: Both the stretched muscle mass and the VM influence acute cardiovascular responses to multiple-set passive stretching exercise sessions.

Acute effects of stretching exercise on the heart rate variability in subjects with low flexibility levels.

The study investigated the heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) before, during, and after stretching exercises performed by subjects with low flexibility levels. Ten men (age: 23 ± 2 years; weight: 82 ± 13 kg; height: 177 ± 5 cm; sit-and-reach: 23 ± 4 cm) had the HR and HRV assessed during 30 minutes at rest, during 3 stretching exercises for the trunk and hamstrings (3 sets of 30 seconds at maximum range of motion), and after 30 minutes postexercise. The HRV was analyzed in the time ('SD of normal NN intervals' [SDNN], 'root mean of the squared sum of successive differences' [RMSSD], 'number of pairs of adjacent RR intervals differing by >50 milliseconds divided by the total of all RR intervals' [PNN50]) and frequency domains ('low-frequency component' [LF], 'high-frequency component' [HF], LF/HF ratio). The HR and SDNN increased during exercise (p < 0.03) and decreased in the postexercise period (p = 0.02). The RMSSD decreased during stretching (p = 0.03) and increased along recovery (p = 0.03). At the end of recovery, HR was lower (p = 0.01), SDNN was higher (p = 0.02), and PNN50 was similar (p = 0.42) to pre-exercise values. The LF increased (p = 0.02) and HF decreased (p = 0.01) while stretching, but after recovery, their values were similar to pre-exercise (p = 0.09 and p = 0.3, respectively). The LF/HF ratio increased during exercise (p = 0.02) and declined during recovery (p = 0.02), albeit remaining higher than at rest (p = 0.03). In conclusion, the parasympathetic activity rapidly increased after stretching, whereas the sympathetic activity increased during exercise and had a slower postexercise reduction. Stretching sessions including multiple exercises and sets acutely changed the sympathovagal balance in subjects with low flexibility, especially enhancing the postexercise vagal modulation.

Cardiovascular responses to passive static flexibility exercises are influenced by the stretched muscle mass and the Valsalva maneuver

BACKGROUND: The respiratory pattern is often modified or even blocked during flexibility exercises, but little is known about the cardiovascular response to concomitant stretching and the Valsalva maneuver (VM) in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and rate-pressure product (RPP) during and after large and small muscle group flexibility exercises performed simultaneously with the VM. METHODS: Asymptomatic volunteers (N = 22) with the following characteristics were recruited: age, 22 ± 3 years; weight, 73 ± 6 kg; height, 175 ± 5 cm; HR at rest, 66 ± 9 BPM; and SBP at rest, 113 ± 10 mmHg. They performed two exercises: four sets of passive static stretching for 30 s of the dorsi-flexion (DF) of the gastrocnemius and the hip flexion (HF) of the ischio-tibialis. The exercises were performed with (V+) or without (V-) the VM in a counterbalanced order. The SBP and HR were measured, and the RPP was calculated before the exercise session, at the end of each set, and during a 30-min post-exercise recovery period. RESULTS: The within-group comparisons showed that only the SBP and RPP increased throughout the sets (p<0.05), but no post-exercise hypotension was detected. The between-group comparisons showed that greater SBP increases were related to the VM and to a larger stretched muscle mass. Differences for a given set were identified for the HR (the HFV+ and HFV- values were higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 BPM), SBP (the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 12 to 15 mmHg), and RPP (the HFV+ value was higher than the HFV- value by approximately 2000 mmHGxBPM, and the HFV+ value was higher than the DFV+ and DFV- values by approximately 4000 mmHGxBPM). CONCLUSION: Both the stretched muscle mass and the VM influence acute cardiovascular responses to multiple-set passive stretching exercise sessions.

Negative affect predicts posttraumatic stress symptoms in Brazilian volunteer United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti.

Our study evaluated the relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) traits on the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among peacekeepers. A longitudinal study with 138 army personnel deployed to a peacekeeping mission in Haiti was conducted. An instrument for measuring PA and NA traits was used before deployment. PTSS, indexed by posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist--Military Version (PCL-M) and frequency of stressful situations were measured after return. Regression analysis showed that both NA and number of stressful situations contributed toward increasing PCL-M scores (Adjusted R = 0.25; p < 0.001). We also found that NA traits interact with intensively stressful situations enhancing the occurrence of PTSS (Adjusted R = 0.32; p < 0.001). These findings suggest that NA traits are an important predictor for PTSS among peacekeepers and also worsen the consequences of being exposed to stressful situations.