MUSCULOSKELETAL PERFORMANCE OF RECRUITS IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF MILITARY PHYSICAL TRAINING

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the effect of the first 16 weeks of physical military training on flexibility, strength and power of the lower limbs of the recruits from the 6º Mechanized Cavalry Squad of the city of Santa Maria/RS. The sample was composed by 132 incoming recruits in the military service in the years of 2018 and 2019. The recruits were evaluated in the military service admission (initial evaluation) and after 16 weeks of the basic physical training period (after 16º week). The anthropometric data and the level of physical activity (Tegner Activity Score) were collected in the initial assessment. The flexibility was evaluated by the sit and reach test and the strength of the knee extensors by a portable hand dynamometer (Microfet2 HHD, Hoogan Health industries, West Jordan, UT, USA). The general performance of inferior limbs was evaluated by hop tests (Single Hop Test and Side Hop Test). Nearly 47,72% of the recruits used to do light works and 25,75% used to practice physical activity by competitive sports or recreational sports as physical activity level. After 16 weeks of training, there was no changes in flexibility and a reduction was observed in the isometric strength of the knee extensors in both lower limbs (p<0,05). However, there was an improvement in the hop tests demonstrating an improvement on the general performance of the lower limbs, with no alteration in the flexibility and with a decrease on the knee extensors strength. These alterations are related to the type of training implemented in this initial stage, and they can guide strategies of injury prevention in this population.