Correlates of Obstacle Course Performance Among Female Soldiers Carrying Two Different Loads.

摘要

To examine correlates of obstacle course performance, ii female volunteers (mean +/- SD: 25.3 +/- 5.5 yrs, 166 +/- 6.5 cm, 61.3 +/- 6.7 kg) negotiated an obstacle course (low hurdles, zig-zag run, low crawl, overload horizontal pipe, wall, and sprint) with a 14 kg fighting load and a 27 kg approach load. Predictive variables included Army physical fitness test (APFT: pushups, situps, and 3.2 km run) scores, treadmill VO2(sub max) and anthropometric variables. For the 14 kg load, pushups and situps correlated moderately (p < 0.1) with time to negotiate the low crawl and pipe. With the 27 kg load the APFT score correlated moderately with zig-zag and low crawl times, body height correlated (p < 0.1) with hurdles and zig-zag times, and VO2(sub max) correlated with zig-zag and pipe performance. Only 55% of wall traversal attempts with the fighting load and 27% with the approach load were successful, and 800% of pipe traversal attempts with the fighting load and 300% with the approach load were successful. Because so many volunteers could not negotiate these stations, times for the segments were not included in the analysis of total course time. Pushups (r = - 0.54, p < 0.1) and situps (r = - 0.62 p < 0.1) best predicted course time wit the 14 kg load, while the APFT score (r = - 0.57. r < 0.1) best predicted time with the 27 kg load. Aerobic fitness and muscular endurance play important roles in obstacle course performance. As measures of these abilities, the total APFT score and its pushup and situp sub-scores can serve as field expedient predictors of obstacle course performance.