Biomedical subjects

Salima Darakjy

Publications and source records attributed to Salima Darakjy.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Temporal changes in the physical fitness of US Army recruits.

This article defines physical fitness and then reviews the literature on temporal trends in the physical fitness of new US Army recruits. Nineteen papers were found that met the review criteria and had published recruit fitness data from 1975 to 2003. The limited data on recruit muscle strength suggested an increase from 1978 to 1998 (20-year period). Data on push-ups and sit-ups suggested no change in muscular endurance between 1984 and 2003 (19-year period). Limited data suggested that maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) [mL/kg/min] of male recruits did not change from 1975 to 1998 (23-year period), while there was some indication of a small increase in female recruit VO2max in the same period. On the other hand, slower times on 1-mile (1.6km) and 2-mile (3.2km) runs indicate declines in aerobic performance from 1987 to 2003 (16-year period). The apparent discrepancy between the VO2max and endurance running data may indicate that recruits are not as proficient at applying their aerobic capability to performance tasks, such as timed runs, possibly because of factors such as increased bodyweight, reduced experience with running, lower motivation and/or environmental factors. Recruit height, weight and body mass index have progressively increased between 1978 and 2003 (25-year period). Both the body fat and fat-free mass of male recruits increased from 1978 to 1998 (20-year period); however, body composition data on female recruits did not show a consistent trend. In this same time period, the literature contained little data on youth physical activity but there was some suggestion that caloric consumption increased. This article indicates that temporal trends in recruit fitness differ depending on the fitness component measured. The very limited comparable data on civilian populations showed trends similar to the recruit data.

Body Composition↗

PubMed2006

Increasing the physical fitness of low-fit recruits before basic combat training: an evaluation of fitness, injuries, and training outcomes.

Recruits arriving for basic combat training (BCT) between October 1999 and May 2004 were administered an entry-level physical fitness test at the reception station. If they failed the test, then they entered the Fitness Assessment Program (FAP), where they physically trained until they passed the test and subsequently entered BCT. The effectiveness of the FAP was evaluated by examining fitness, injury, and training outcomes. Recruits who failed the test, trained in the FAP, and entered BCT after passing the test were designated the preconditioning (PC) group (64 men and 94 women). Recruits who failed the test but were allowed to enter BCT without going into the FAP were called the no preconditioning (NPC) group (32 men and 73 women). Recruits who passed the test and directly entered BCT were designated the no need of preconditioning (NNPC) group (1,078 men and 731 women). Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) scores and training outcomes were obtained from a company-level database, and injured recruits were identified from cases documented in medical records. The proportions of NPC, PC, and NNPC recruits who completed the 9-week BCT cycle were 59%, 83%, and 87% for men (p < 0.01) and 52%, 69%, and 78% for women (p < 0.01), respectively. Because of attrition, only 63% of the NPC group took the week 7 APFT, compared with 84% and 86% of the PC and NNPC groups, respectively. The proportions of NPC, PC, and NNPC recruits who passed the final APFT after all retakes were 88%, 92%, and 98% for men (p < 0.01) and 89%, 92%, and 97% for women (p < 0.01), respectively. Compared with NNPC men, injury risk was 1.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.2) and 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.1) times higher for PC and NPC men, respectively. Compared with NNPC women, injury risk was 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.6) and 1.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.1) times higher for PC and NPC women, respectively. This program evaluation showed that low-fit recruits who preconditioned before BCT had reduced attrition and tended to have lower injury risk, compared with recruits of similar low fitness who did not precondition.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Injuries and illnesses among armor brigade soldiers during operational training.

This study describes injury and illness rates and some risk factors among soldiers from an armor division during a rotation at the National Training Center (Fort Irwin, California). Soldiers from a brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division were involved in a 5-week training exercise at the National Training Center. Health care visits were systematically recorded by the unit medics. Of 4,101 men and 413 women who participated in the exercise, 504 soldiers (409 men and 95 women) sought medical care at the main support medical clinic or Weed Army Community Hospital. The rates of injury and illness visits were 1.2% and 0.6% per week for men and 2.3% and 2.2% per week for women, respectively. Women had twice the risk of an injury and 3.5 times the risk of an illness, compared with men. Compared with other branches, combat service support soldiers had higher rates of injuries and illnesses. Enlisted soldiers of lower rank (E1-E4) experienced higher injury and illness rates than did noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers. Musculoskeletal injuries, environmental conditions, and dermatological conditions accounted for most visits.

Accidents, Occupational↗

PubMed2006

The basis for prescribed ability group run speeds and distances in U.S. Army basic combat training.

During the first few days of Army Basic Combat Training (BCT), recruits take a running test and after completing this test they are ranked from fast to slow. Four roughly equal-sized "ability groups" are established from these rankings and recruits run together in these groups for their physical training during BCT. In the past, there has been no formal guidance regarding how fast or how far these ability groups should run. To fill this void, this study provides guidance for running speeds and distances during BCT. The major considerations included are: (1) minimizing injuries, (2) the initial aerobic fitness level of recruits, (3) historical improvements in run times during BCT, (4) historical running speeds of the slower individuals in each ability group, (5) running speeds that must be achieved to "pass" the 2-mile run in BCT, (6) the gender composition of the ability groups, and (7) recommendations from the trainers and field testing. Three databases were analyzed that contained a total of 16,716 men and 11,600 women. Four steps were used in the analyses: (1) establishment of run-time cut points for representative ability groups, (2) determination of initial (starting) run speeds, (3) estimation of changes in run speeds with training, and (4) establishment of run speeds and distances for each week of BCT. Efforts were made to (1) keep the running speeds between 70% and 83% of the estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) for all ability groups, (2) consider the 2-mile running pace of the slower individuals in each ability group, and (3) keep the total running distance for the two slower ability groups below a total of 25 miles, the apparent threshold for increasing injury incidence. A chart provides speeds and distances for each ability group at each week of BCT. Using these recommended speeds and distances should allow trainees to improve their aerobic fitness, pass the Army Physical Fitness Test, and minimize injuries that result in lost training time and, ultimately, lower fitness levels.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Evaluation of a standardized physical training program for basic combat training.

A control group (CG, n = 1,138) that implemented a traditional Basic Combat Training (BCT) physical training (PT) program was compared to an evaluation group (EG, n = 829) that implemented a PT program newly designed for BCT. The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) was taken at various points in the PT program, and injuries were obtained from a medical surveillance system. After 9 weeks of training, the proportion failing the APFT was lower in the EG than in the CG (1.7 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.03). After adjustment for initial fitness levels, age, and body mass index, the relative risk of an injury in the CG was 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] =1.2-2.0) and 1.5 (95% CI = 1.2-1.8) times higher than in the EG for men and women, respectively. The newly designed PT program resulted in higher fitness test pass rates and lower injury rates compared to a traditional BCT physical training program.

Adaptation, Physiological↗