The Predictors Of A Proposed Combat Readiness Test
THE PREDICTORS OF A PROPOSED COMBAT READINESS TESTbyHung-Chun HuangBachelor of Science, National Taiwan University, 2004Master of Science, University of Pittsburgh, 2008Submitted to the Graduate Faculty ofSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the degree ofDoctor of PhilosophyUniversity of Pittsburgh2016i
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHSCHOOL OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION SCIENCESThis dissertation was presentedbyHung-Chun HuangIt was defended onNovember 11, 2016and approved byTimothy C. Sell, PhD, PT, Duke OrthopaedicsMita Lovalekar, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Sports Medicine and NutritionBradley C. Nindl, PhD, FACSM, Sports Medicine and NutritionChristopher Connaboy, PhD, Sports Medicine and NutritionDissertation Advisor: Takashi Nagai, PhD, ATC, Sports Medicine and Nutritionii
Copyright by Hung-Chun Huang2016iii
THE PREDICTORS OF A PROPOSED COMBAT READINESS TESTHung-Chun Huang, PhDUniversity of Pittsburgh, 2016Combat readiness is defined as the ability to accomplish missions on the battlefield, and physicalfitness is one of the key elements for combat readiness. The U.S. Army recently proposed a newphysical fitness test called the Army Combat Readiness Test (ACRT) to replace the threedecade-old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Determining which physical fitness componentsare essential to performing well in the proposed ACRT can help U.S. Army Soldiers to attain thephysical fitness required for carrying out their duties. Currently, there are no studies that haveexamined the relationship between the proposed ACRT performance and the components ofphysical fitness. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the underlying and modifiablecomponents of physical fitness for the proposed ACRT performance.Forty-three healthy and physically active male subjects (age: 21.5 2.9 yrs; height: 177.9 7.7 cm; mass: 77.8 11.1 kg) participated in one field test session and one laboratory testsession. Subjects were assessed with the proposed ACRT in the field test session and physicalfitness measurements in the laboratory test session, which included muscular strength andendurance, postural stability, aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, flexibility, body composition,fat-free mass, and agility. Backward stepwise linear regression analysis was performed toestablish a multiple linear regression model to predict time to completion of the proposed ACRTusing the physical fitness measurements.iv
Muscular endurance, aerobic capacity, body composition, fat-free mass, and agilitycontributed to a model that predict time to completion of the proposed ACRT (R2 0.52, p 0.001). The results indicate that the proposed ACRT assess a combination of physical fitnesscomponents, which can be utilized to design a targeted physical fitness training program toenhance combat readiness. Future studies should include greater age range for subjects, femalegender, and additional physical fitness components.v
TABLE OF CONTENTSPREFACE . XVII1.0INTRODUCTION . 11.1DEFINITION OF COMBAT READINESS. 21.2PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR COMBAT READINESS . 31.3THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE U.S. ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESSTESTS .41.4PREDICTING THE PROPOSED ARMY COMBAT READINESS TESTPERFORMANCE. 61.5DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM . 81.6PURPOSE . 91.7SPECIFIC AIMS AND HYPOTHESES . 91.8STUDY SIGNIFICANCE . 112.0REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 122.1THE U.S. ARMY TRAINING METHODOLOGY FOR COMBATREADINESS . 122.1.1Current and Future Operating Environments . 132.1.2The U. S. Army’s Training Principles . 132.1.3The U.S. Army’s Training Management . 15vi
2.2THE U.S. ARMY PHYSICAL READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM . 162.2.1The U.S. Army’s Physical Readiness Training Principles . 162.2.2The U.S. Army Physical Readiness Training Management. 202.3HISTORY OF U.S. ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST . 212.4PREDICTING MILITARY TASK PERFORMANCE . 282.4.1Load Carriage Performance . 292.4.2Lifting Capabilities . 302.4.3Obstacle Course Performance . 302.4.4Completion of Military Training or Exercises . 312.5PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED ARMYCOMBAT READINESS TEST . 332.5.1400-Meter Run . 332.5.2Low Hurdles . 352.5.3High Crawl . 362.5.4Under and Over. 382.5.5Casualty Drag . 402.5.6Balance Beam Ammo Can Carry . 412.5.7Point-Aim-Move. 432.5.8100-Yard Shuttle Sprint with Ammo Can . 452.5.9Agility Sprint . 472.5.10Summary . 492.6METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS. 522.6.1Subject Population . 52vii
3.02.6.2Muscular Strength . 522.6.3Muscular Endurance . 552.6.4Postural Stability . 562.6.5Aerobic Capacity . 572.6.6Anaerobic Capacity . 582.6.7Flexibility . 592.6.8Body Composition. 602.6.9Fat-free Mass. 612.6.10Agility . 622.6.11Summary . 62METHODOLOGY. 643.1EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN . 643.2SUBJECT RECRUITMENT . 663.3SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS . 663.3.1Inclusion Criteria. 663.3.2Exclusion Criteria . 673.4POWER ANALYSIS . 673.5INSTRUMENTATION . 683.5.1Freelap Timing System . 683.5.2Polar Heart Rate Monitor . 683.5.3BOD POD Body Composition System . 683.5.4Kistler Force Platform . 693.5.5Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer . 69viii
3.5.6Velotron Cycling Ergometer. 703.5.7ParvoMedics Metabolic Unit . 703.5.8Lactate Pro Lactate Measurement System . 713.5.9Novel Flex-tester Sit-and-reach Box . 713.6TESTING PROCEDURES . 713.6.1Subject Preparation . 713.6.2Order of Testing. 723.6.3Army Combat Readiness Test . 723.6.4Body Composition Assessment . 823.6.5Flexibility Assessment . 833.6.6Agility Assessment . 843.6.7Dynamic Postural Stability Assessment . 853.6.8Isokinetic Knee Muscular Strength Assessment . 873.6.9Isokinetic Shoulder Muscular Endurance Assessment . 883.6.10Anaerobic Capacity Assessment . 893.6.11Aerobic Capacity Assessment . 913.7DATA REDUCTION. 923.7.1Body Composition Assessment . 923.7.2Flexibility Assessment . 933.7.3Agility Assessment . 933.7.4Dynamic Postural Stability Assessment . 943.7.5Isokinetic Knee Muscular Strength Assessment . 943.7.6Isokinetic Shoulder Muscular Endurance Assessment . 95ix
3.7.7Anaerobic Capacity Assessment. 953.7.8Aerobic Capacity Assessment . 953.84.0STATISTICAL ANALYSIS . 96RESULTS . 974.1SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS . 974.2INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES - SUMMARY DATAAND NORMALITY TEST RESULTS. 1004.3THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENTVARIABLES: TWO-WAY SCATTER PLOTS AND PEARSON’S CORRELATIONCOEFFICIENTS . 1034.4THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENTVARIABLES: SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS . 1054.5THE IDENTIFICATION OF THEPREDICTIVE INDEPENDENTVARIABLES: MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS . 1075.0DISCUSSION . 1115.1SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS . 1115.2DEPENDENT VARIABLE - THE PROPOSED ARMY COMBATREADINESS TEST . 1125.3INDEPENDENT VARIABLES - PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENTS1135.3.1Muscular Strength . 1135.3.2Muscular Endurance . 1145.3.3Postural Stability . 1145.3.4Aerobic Capacity . 114x
5.3.5Anaerobic Capacity . 1155.3.6Flexibility . 1155.3.7Body Composition. 1155.3.8Fat-free Mass. 1165.3.9Agility. 1165.4PREDICTION OF THE PROPOSED ARMY COMBAT READINESSTEST PERFORMANCE . 1175.4.1Muscular Strength . 1185.4.2Muscular Endurance . 1195.4.3Postural Stability . 1205.4.4Aerobic Capacity . 1205.4.5Anaerobic Capacity . 1215.4.6Flexibility . 1225.4.7Body Composition. 1235.4.8Fat-free Mass. 1235.4.9Agility. 1245.5STUDY LIMITATIONS . 1255.6STUDY SIGNIFICANCE . 1255.7FUTURE RESEARCH . 1265.8CONCLUSION . 127APPENDIX A . 128APPENDIX B . 145APPENDIX C . 146xi
APPENDIX D . 149BIBLIOGRAPHY . 152xii
LIST OF TABLESTable 1. Physical Requirements of Mission-Essential Tasks . 18Table 2. Physical Fitness Components Required by Mission-Essential Tasks . 19Table 3. Physical Fitness Components of Army Physical Fitness Test (1946 to Present) . 21Table 4. Muscular Involvement in the 400-Meter Run . 34Table 5. Muscular Involvement in the Low Hurdles . 36Table 6. Muscular Involvement in the High Crawl . 38Table 7. Muscular Involvement in the Over and Under . 39Table 8. Muscular Involvement in the Casualty Drag . 41Table 9. Muscular Involvement in the Balance Beam Ammo Can Carry . 43Table 10. Muscular Involvement in the Point-Aim-Move . 45Table 11. Muscular Involvement in the 100-Yard Shuttle Sprint with Ammo Can . 47Table 12. Muscular Involvement in the Agility Sprint . 48Table 13. Physical Fitness Components of the proposed Army Combat Readiness TestMeasureable in the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory Based on Army Subject Experts’Opinion10 . 49Table 14. Primary Muscle Utilization in the Proposed Army Combat Readiness Test . 51Table 15. Variables Selected for Multiple Regression Analysis . 63Table 16. Subject Characteristics . 99xiii
Table 17. Dependent and Independent Variable Summary Data . 102Table 18. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient Matrix for Independent and Dependent Variables 104Table 19 Simple Linear Regression Model to Predict Time to Completion of the ProposedCombat Readiness Test . 106Table 20. Multiple Regression Model to Predict Time to Completion of the Proposed CombatReadiness Test . 109xiv
LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1. Army Combat Readiness Test . 73Figure 2. 400-Meter Run . 74Figure 3. Low Hurdle . 75Figure 4. High Crawl. 76Figure 5. Under and Over . 77Figure 6. Casualty Drag . 78Figure 7. Balance Beam Ammo Can Carry . 79Figure 8. Point-Aim-Move . 80Figure 9. 100-Yard Shuttle Sprint with Ammo Can . 81Figure 10. Agility Sprint . 82Figure 11. BOD POD Body Composition Assessment . 83Figure 12. Flexibility Assessment. 84Figure 13. Agility Assessment . 85Figure 14. Dynamic Postural Stability in the Anterior-posterior Direction. 87Figure 15. Isokinetic Knee Muscular Strength Assessment . 88Figure 16. Isokinetic Shoulder Muscular Endurance Assessment . 89Figure 17. Anaerobic Capacity Assessment . 90xv
Figure 18. Aerobic Capacity Assessment . 92Figure 19. Body Density Formula . 93Figure 20. Siri Body Fat Percentage Formula . 93Figure 21. Schutte Body Fat Percentage Formula . 93Figure 22. Fat Free Mass Formula . 93Figure 23. Calculation for the Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI) . 94Figure 24. Total Work Formula . 95Figure 25. Multiple Linear Regression Fitted Values vs. Jackknife Residual Plot for Time toCompletion of the Proposed Combat Readiness Test (seconds) . 110xvi
PREFACEThere are many people to whom I’d like to show my gratitude. Without them, it would not bepossible for me to complete this dissertation and obtain my PhD degree. First, I would like tothank Dr. Scott Lephart for bringing me into the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory in 2006,which gave me the unique opportunity to observe and participate in several grand militaryresearch projects which span 10 years and involve U.S. Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force.Next, I would like to thank Dr. Takashi Nagai for the invaluable research experience at UPittWarrior Human Performance Research Center at Ft Campbell as well as assistance with writings.I would also like to thank Dr. Timothy Sell for guiding me through academic studies andshowing me how to become a productive scholar. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. John Abtfor supporting my participation in the Ft Campbell research project, Dr. Mita Lovalekar forassisting me on statistical analyses, and Dr. Chirstopher Connaboy and Dr. Bradley Nindl forproviding his military insight. I would also like to thank the remaining NMRL faculty, students,and staff for giving me a hand whenever possible.Furthermore, I would like to thank LTC Jason Eddy and his staff from University ofPittsburgh Army ROTC and LTC James Carroll and his staff from University of Pittsburgh AirForce ROTC for supporting this study and providing me with the access to cadets. I would alsolike to thank Cadet Matthew Talerico and Grant Traeger for their assistance with testing, SSGxvii
James Murray, SSG Trevor Armstrong, and SPC Thomas Grace for inspiring me to studymilitary task performance and teaching me soldiering skills.Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, Dr. Jing-Shan Huang and Yen Lin Huang forsupporting me both financially and mentally in my decade-long pursuit of graduate degrees. Thelast couple of years of my PhD study were especially difficult due to my debilitating healthissues. And were it not for their backing, I would have no choice but to drop off from theprogram. I would also like to thank my aunts, Michelle Lin, Cynthia Lin, and Irene Lin, and theirfamilies in US for providing countless assistance, as well as my sister, Julie Huang, who alwaysfind ways to cheer me up.xviii
1.0INTRODUCTIONPhysical fitness contributes significantly to Soldiers’ combat readiness.1 In order to evaluate andtrack Soldiers’ physical fitness, the U.S. Army has utilized the Army Physical Fitness Test(APFT) for almost three decades.2 The APFT has been criticized for not measuring the physicalfitness required for tactical operations,3-7 so the U.S. Army recently proposed a new physicalfitness test called the Army Combat Readiness Test (ACRT).8-10 The proposed ACRT isdesigned to measure the physical fitness components required for the Soldiers to perform wellduring tactical operations.8-10 Specifically, the designers of the proposed ACRT intended for it toassess the Soldiers’ muscular strength, muscular endurance, postural stability, aerobic capacity,anaerobic capacity, agility, flexibility, fat-free mass, and body composition. Among thesephysical fitness components, determining which components are essential to performing well inthe proposed ACRT can help U.S. Army Soldiers to attain the physical fitness required forcarrying out their duties. Currently, there are no studies that have examined the relationshipbetween the proposed ACRT performance and the components of physical fitness. Therefore, thepurpose of this study is to identify the underlying and modifiable components of physical fitnessfor the proposed ACRT performance.1
1.1DEFINITION OF COMBAT READINESSCombat readiness of a Soldier is defined as being capable of carrying out his or her missionsuccessfully.11 In order to achieve this goal, the U.S. Army aims to provide Soldiers withadequate training to attain combat and technical skills as well as mental and physical fitness.11 Intoday’s dynamic and volatile operational environments, the need for Soldiers to be trained andprepared in all aspects cannot be stressed enough.11The U.S. Army conducts training based on tasks essential to mission success.12 EachSoldier needs to be capable of accomplishing tasks specific to his or her military occupationalspecialty, as well as the common Soldier tasks.12, 13 The common Soldier tasks are those in whichevery Soldier must be proficient regardless of age, gender, rank, or branch in order to survive onthe battlefield.12, 13 The common Soldier tasks can be categorized into five categories: Shoot,Move, Communicate, Survive, and Adapt.13 The Shoot category requires Soldiers to be capable ofutilizing rifles and grenades to engage targets effectively. The Move category requires Soldiers tobe capable of making tactical movements, negotiating obstacles, taking appropriate action inresponse to enemy fire, and navigating using maps, compass and GPS. The Communicatecategory requires Soldiers to be capable of using visual signals and radios to communicateaccurately. The Survive category requires Soldiers to be capable of dealing with a chemical orbiological attack, evaluating, providing first aid to, and evacuating a casualty, performingcounter-improvised explosive device procedures, gathering and reporting intelligence, andperforming combatives. Finally, the Adapt category requires Soldiers to be capable of dealingwith civilians and media with professionalism, improving his or her knowledge and character,and developing physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family fitness.2
Most of the common Soldier tasks previously listed require a high level of physicalfitness.14 Throwing grenades, performing tactical movements, negotiating obstacles, taking coverfrom enemy fire, evacuating a casualty, and performing combatives are all physically demandingtasks.14 The U.S. Army strives to train as they fight, so they attempt to develop their Soldiers’physical fitness through a realistic task and performance-oriented physical training program.141.2PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR COMBAT READINESSCombat readiness is heavily influenced by the physical fitness of the Soldier. To performeffectively on the battlefield, the Soldiers must be fit technically, mentally, emotionally, andphysically. Deficiency in any of these four aspects will be detrimental to the Soldiers’ combatreadiness.1 During the opening phase of the Korean War in 1950, Task Force Smith, a physicallyand materially unprepared U.S. Army unit was driven off its position while suffering heavylosses by better-prepared North Korean forces.15 During their retreat, the U.S. Soldiers from thisunit had to abandon most of their equipment because they were not physically conditioned tocarry it.15 In contrast, the better-conditioned U.S. Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division wereable to complete their mission in a harsher environment i
The U.S. Army recently proposed a new physical fitness test called the Army Combat Readiness Test (ACRT) to replace the three-decade-old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Determining which physical fitness components are essential to performing well in the proposed ACRT can help U.S. Army Soldiers to attain the physical fitness required for .
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Le genou de Lucy. Odile Jacob. 1999. Coppens Y. Pré-textes. L’homme préhistorique en morceaux. Eds Odile Jacob. 2011. Costentin J., Delaveau P. Café, thé, chocolat, les bons effets sur le cerveau et pour le corps. Editions Odile Jacob. 2010. 3 Crawford M., Marsh D. The driving force : food in human evolution and the future.
