Weight change in theater may redefine 'fit to fight'
By T. C. Bradford
February 9, 2006
FORT POLK, La. (Army New Service, Feb. 8, 2006) – Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan have lost weight and muscle mass while those serving in Iraq have reported gaining weight and losing their fitness edge, according to anecdotal evidence that has prompted an Army study.
Marilyn Sharp, an exercise scientist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, said while there have been no official tests yet to prove or disprove the reports, at least one Soldier has kept an informal record.
“One platoon sergeant actually measured his troops before and following a year in Afghanistan, so he’s got data, but it’s only on 15 people,” Sharp said. “You can’t say that’s a representative sample.
Even so, the informal tests sparked an interest in a formal two-phased study that could change the way the Army keeps its Soldiers in top fighting form so the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine and the Army Physical Fitness School started using two units from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division to assess a program developed by the fitness school. .
The 10th Mountain’s 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment has been assigned a new physical fitness regiment called physical readiness training, while the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment serves as the control group and performs standard physical training routine.
So the Institute went to Fort Polk to put Soldiers of the 2/4th Infantry to the test. The unit will soon deploy to the war zone but before they leave, they will be tested in five ways to document their fitness level and break down their body mass.
First Phase -- Five-fold Physical Test
The first test is a measure of aerobic capacity which gives a read of a Soldier’s peak oxygen uptake. The test is gauged on body weight, so results can be compared without regard to height or other variables. Sharp said the average Soldier has an aerobic uptake of 50 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute which indicates that most are in good shape.
Second is a muscle strength test that indicates how much weight Soldiers can lift to the loading level of a five-ton truck. The test measures up to 260 pounds, which Sharp said is a substantial amount of weight. “There’s a certain amount of coordination involved in the test, but we try to train them how to do the lift before they accomplish it,” she said.
Third, the ability to perform a vertical jump is tested. This will measure the force Soldiers exert against the ground as they jump. It will also measure acceleration and height.
To test upper body strength, Soldiers throw a medicine ball from a seated position as far as possible. “This is actually an entry-level test for the Swedish Army and we thought it would be a fun thing to do,” explained Sharp. “We don’t have much data on this for American Soldiers. After this (study) we will be able to tell what’s normal for our Soldiers.”
The fifth measure is a low level X-ray. Much like a CT scan, the x-ray scans the body from head-to-toe in centimeter-thick slices. The scan gives an accurate measure of body composition which allows scientists to determine body fat, muscle and bone density.
Soldiers also complete questionnaires that give a snapshot of each soldier’s lifestyle – do they drink or smoke; what are their exercise habits; how demanding, both physically and aerobically, are their jobs and more.
The tests should give an accurate picture of each Soldier’s overall health prior to deployment, creating a database where scientists can compare future data. The plan is to follow these Soldiers through their deployment, documenting their illnesses, injuries and other data. Upon redeployment, they will be retested.
“We’d like to retest them before they get home and start getting into their normal daily routines,” said Sharp. The results may change the way Soldiers prepare for missions in country and could lead to the development of a new type of meal ready-to-eat or energy bar.
Sharp said this phase of the study is important because, if the anecdotal evidence is true, it affects how Soldiers perform. “In one case (Soldiers) are losing muscle mass and we know they have to carry heavy loads.
“Once they start losing muscle mass, it decreases their ability to do that. Conversely, I think in Iraq it’s more of a health issue – they’re gaining weight and losing fitness -- they can’t go on the long runs they are used to,” she added. “So it’s probably more of a training and health issue in Iraq whereas in Afghanistan it’s more of a muscle mass and performance issue.”
Second Phase – Comparing Physical Fitness Training
The solution to the possible Iraq fitness issue could be as simple as providing better guidance on Soldiers’ caloric needs or the development of exercise programs that are good for small, confined areas. Better training programs are also a focus of testing. Capt. Roberto Marin, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, explained.
“Phase two measures the difference between the Soldiers that used the new physical readiness training and the Soldiers who trained using the Army’s standard physical training program,” said Marin. “The group that trained using the PRT program is deploying. When they come back, we will scan and test them again to find out what’s going on with their bodies. After that they’ll go into a 20-24 week physical readiness training program to recondition.”
The standard physical fitness routine the Army Physical Fitness Test focuses on includes push-ups, sit-ups and running. The new PRT focuses on strengthening muscle groups that allow Soldiers to perform warrior skills more efficiently and with fewer injuries.
Once the Soldiers are back in peak shape, they will be tested yet again and compared to the control group. Scientists will assess the injury rate, performance scores and how they perform warrior skills. The hope is that Soldiers using the new physical readiness training regiment will have fewer injuries, be more mobile and better all-around Soldiers.
“The purpose of the Army Physical Fitness Training Program is to bring back into the Soldier’s mind that they are performing Soldier tasks and not training solely for success in the APFT,” said Lt. Col. Bill Rieger, commandant of the Army Physical Fitness School.
“The physiological assessments that Mrs. Sharp is doing with the Institute and the work that the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine does will help to further refine the programs we write to reduce injury and improve the Soldier’s physical performance.
(T.C. Bradford serves as a staff writer with the “Guardian,” Fort Polk, La.)
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