Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Marin Plemmons
Faculty Mentor’s Department
School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Aerobic fitness predicts tibial bone loads during field exercises with moderate load carriage
Load carriage is expected of tactical athletes (soldiers and firefighters) and is thought to increase the risk of tibial bone stress fractures during basic combat training. Well-known predictors of tibial bone stress fractures are aerobic fitness and lower limb strength deficits. Traditionally, measurements of lower limb loading patterns that relate to tibial stress fracture are conducted in a laboratory setting; however, laboratory settings do not represent the loading demands tactical athletes experience in the field. Wearable devices may be useful in assessing lower limb loads, such as tibial shock, during field exercises. Thus, we sought to determine if low levels of aerobic fitness and lower limb strength predict tibial shock, measured via a wearable device, during a field test while carrying moderate load. Forty-one healthy individuals have been tested to date. Participants completed a hike with load carriage (females and males carrying 40 and 50 lbs respectively), on Mt. Sentinel as tibial shock was assessed with a small wearable accelerometer mounted on each participant’s lower leg. Quadriceps and soleus strength was also assessed. Aerobic fitness was assessed separately via heart rate response in submaximal, steady-state aerobic test. Separate Pearson’s correlations determined the relationship between tibial shock metrics and lower limb strength and aerobic fitness. Lower limb strength did not predict tibial shock (quadriceps: r=-0.091; p=0.56, soleus: 0.17; p=0.29), whereas aerobic fitness (r=-0.52; p=0.002) significantly predicted tibial shock. Thus, we found that greater tibial shock was observed as aerobic fitness increased, contrary to our hypotheses. This result was unexpected as poor aerobic fitness is a significant risk factor for tibial bone stress fractures in basic combat training. These data suggest that less aerobically fit individuals may have a greater risk for tibial bone stress fractures because they do not tolerate tibial shock as well as individuals who are more aerobically fit.
Category
Life Sciences
Aerobic fitness predicts tibial bone loads during field exercises with moderate load carriage
Aerobic fitness predicts tibial bone loads during field exercises with moderate load carriage
Load carriage is expected of tactical athletes (soldiers and firefighters) and is thought to increase the risk of tibial bone stress fractures during basic combat training. Well-known predictors of tibial bone stress fractures are aerobic fitness and lower limb strength deficits. Traditionally, measurements of lower limb loading patterns that relate to tibial stress fracture are conducted in a laboratory setting; however, laboratory settings do not represent the loading demands tactical athletes experience in the field. Wearable devices may be useful in assessing lower limb loads, such as tibial shock, during field exercises. Thus, we sought to determine if low levels of aerobic fitness and lower limb strength predict tibial shock, measured via a wearable device, during a field test while carrying moderate load. Forty-one healthy individuals have been tested to date. Participants completed a hike with load carriage (females and males carrying 40 and 50 lbs respectively), on Mt. Sentinel as tibial shock was assessed with a small wearable accelerometer mounted on each participant’s lower leg. Quadriceps and soleus strength was also assessed. Aerobic fitness was assessed separately via heart rate response in submaximal, steady-state aerobic test. Separate Pearson’s correlations determined the relationship between tibial shock metrics and lower limb strength and aerobic fitness. Lower limb strength did not predict tibial shock (quadriceps: r=-0.091; p=0.56, soleus: 0.17; p=0.29), whereas aerobic fitness (r=-0.52; p=0.002) significantly predicted tibial shock. Thus, we found that greater tibial shock was observed as aerobic fitness increased, contrary to our hypotheses. This result was unexpected as poor aerobic fitness is a significant risk factor for tibial bone stress fractures in basic combat training. These data suggest that less aerobically fit individuals may have a greater risk for tibial bone stress fractures because they do not tolerate tibial shock as well as individuals who are more aerobically fit.