Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/1748
Title: The effect of military load carriage on ground reaction forces
Authors: Birrell, SA
Hooper, RH
Haslam, RA
Keywords: Load carriage; Ground reaction force; Military; Gait; Rifle carriage
Issue Date: 2007
Publisher: Elsevier
Citation: Gait & Posture, 26: 611-614
Abstract: Load carriage is an inevitable part of military life both during training and operations. Loads carried are frequently as high as 60% bodyweight, and this increases injury risk. In the military, load is carried in a backpack (also referred to as a Bergen) and webbing, these combined form a load carriage system (LCS). A substantial body of literature exists recording the physiological effects of load carriage; less is available regarding the biomechanics. Previous biomechanical studies have generally been restricted to loads of 20% and 40% of bodyweight, usually carried in the backpack alone. The effect of rifle carriage on gait has also received little or no attention in the published literature. This is despite military personnel almost always carrying a rifle during load carriage. In this study, 15 male participants completed 8 conditions: military boot, rifle, webbing 8 and 16 kg, backpack 16 kg and LCS 24, 32 and 40 kg. Results showed that load added in 8 kg increments elicited a proportional increase in vertical and anteroposterior ground reaction force (GRF) parameters. Rifle carriage significantly increased the impact peak and mediolateral impulse compared to the boot condition. These effects may be the result of changes to the vertical and horizontal position of the body’s centre of mass, caused by the restriction of natural arm swing patterns. Increased GRFs, particularly in the vertical axis, have been positively linked to overuse injuries. Therefore, the biomechanical analysis of load carriage is important in aiding our understanding of injuries associated with military
URI: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525442/description#description
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/1748
Appears in Collections:Brunel Design School Research Papers

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
The_Effect_of_Military_Load_Carriage_on_Ground_Reaction_Forces_Birrell et al - 2007.pdf235.5 kBAdobe PDFView/Open


Items in BURA are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.