Performance changes during repeated military occupational test and its associations to physical performance

Abstract

The present study investigated performance changes during three runs (1 min recovery) of repeated military simulation task test (RMST) and its associations with physical performance. Voluntary male soldiers (N = 114) participated in a series of measurements of physical performance. Lower body explosive force production, anaerobic endurance and upper body strength endurance together explained 58% of the variance in the first RSMT (p < 0.001). The same variables explained the variance in the second and third runs of RSMT by 60% and 51%, but explosive force production was replaced with aerobic endurance, assessed by the 3.2 km loaded run (p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the role of explosive power of the lower body decreased and military specific aerobic endurance increased when occupational performance was assessed under acute fatigue even during a short high-intensity test. These results may benefit tactical strength and conditioning coaches in training optimization for improved occupational performance in military.