This study aims to review a need of change in soldier’s physical training and develop new training factors. Such factors of physical fitness tests were proposed for soldier’s health and fitness management, and their training effects were tested in...
This study aims to review a need of change in soldier’s physical training and develop new training factors. Such factors of physical fitness tests were proposed for soldier’s health and fitness management, and their training effects were tested in this study.
Twenty two healthy male university students who are in the ages of 20 to 25 similar with soldiers were chosen and divided into three groups: Controlled Group of Non-exercise(CON, N=7), Existing-exercise Training Group(ETG, N=7) and New Training Group(NTG, N=8). Blood samples were taken from every group totally four times to test 12m-running performance before and after the 4-week exercise training program. The blood samples were analyzed and measured for concentration changes of Hct, pH, PO2, Glucose, Lactate and some ionic elements (Na+, K+ and Ca2+) in blood. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to understand the interaction effect between groups and factors with time and the main effect. One-way ANOVA was done to examine the mean differences between groups on each time interval. Repeated Measure ANOVA was carried out to test the mean differences between groups with time. Tukey was used as a post-hoc test under a statistical significance level of α=0.05.
Blood pH measurement showed a decrease(1.2∼3.6%) after the exercise(Postexe) in every group, compared to before the exercise(Preexe). The Lactate concentrations increased sharply after the exercise in every group, showing a statistically significant increase. The changes in Glucose concentration showed an increase after the exercise in every group, and statistically ETG and NTG showed a significant effect(P<.05, P<.01, P<.001). No significant effect on 12-min running performance was found at CON and ETG, but NTG showed a significant improvement after the exercise(Postexe, P<.05). As for the performance change in the 20kg-weight transferring capacity on every 5-m interval, CON and NTG showed a significant difference at post-exercise, compared to pre-exercise estimates(P<.05), while ETG had no significant effect(P>.05). For more details, the transferring distance by CON decreased by 10.5%, while ETG and NTG marked an increase of 0.4% and 6.8%, respectively. As for the change in isometric muscular endurance performance, CON’s endurance time decreased by 2.6%, but ETG and NTG showed an increase of 18.7% and 37.7%, respectively. Most noticeable improvement was made by NTG. Sit & Reach test results showed every group’s performance decreased commonly after the exercise, but NTG’s range of decrease(-0.2cm) was markedly smaller than ETG(-0.8cm) and CON(-0.7cm). Such decrease in record came from stiffened muscles by a certain temperature fall on the test day after the 4-week exercise training program. However, From NTG’s record showing the smallest decrease, NTG seems to keep the best performance in sit & reach among the groups. The following conclusions can derived from the test results.
1. No significant change in pH and Lactate concentration was found between groups, but a meaningful effect was shown after the exercise, in comparison with before the exercise, by every group in pH and Lactate concentration.
2. The blood Glucose concentrations at ETG and NTG showed a significant effect after the exercise, compared to before the exercise.
3. NTG’s exercise training program didn’t create any change in blood Hct content and PO2 measurement.
4. NTG’s exercise training program didn’t create any significant effect on blood ionic concentrations(Na+, K+ and Ca2+).
5. NTG’s exercise training program made a significant improvement in the 12-min running performance and the 20kg-weight transferring capacity on every 5-m interval.
6. NTG’s exercise training program didn’t create any significant effect in performances of the 40m sprint with 20kg-weighted backpack and the 40m shuttle run(10m x 4 times) with 5kg weight.
7. NTG’s exercise training program showed no significant effect on dynamic endurance(Push up) performance, but an improvement in static endurance (Isometric muscular endurance) performance.
8. NTG’s exercise training program created an improved change in sit & reach performance.
In conclusion, new exercise training program in this study created a performance increase in 12-min running, 40m sprint with 20kg-weighted backpack, isometric muscular endurance and sit & reach(cardiorespiratory endurance, strength/muscular endurance, abdominal muscle power/endurance/flexibility). This means new exercise training program was significantly effective on endurance/strength/flexibility which are most essentially needed for soldiers. Although other test records in this study didn’t create the changes expected, future studies with different conditions of exercise training and time period will provide better results. Our military forces are recommended to execute the physical training program for soldiers, including the physical factors such as strength, explosive muscular strength, agility and flexibility. The existing endurance-oriented tests and overlapped evaluations should be avoided from physical fitness program and tests, but, instead, explosive muscular strength, agility and flexibility are strongly recommended to be included in the exercise program.