The Influence of Prior Load Carriage Experience on Landing Mechanics
Main Article Content
Keywords
Military, Experience, LESS
Abstract
Introduction: Inexperience carrying heavy loads may be the cause of the high rate of musculoskeletal injury in military personnel. The objective of the study was to determine the difference in landing quality between those with (EXP) and without (IEXP) prior training experience with military load carriage.
Methods: Cross-sectional study design. Twenty-four participants were recruited (EXP, n=12; IEXP, n=12). Participants in the EXP group included active duty personnel, reservist and Army ROTC. Participants in the IEXP group had no prior military experience. All twenty-four participants performed three drop-jumps (DJ) under two conditions: unloaded (UL) and loaded. The loaded condition required the participants to wear a combat helmet, tactical vest and rucksack (HVR). Two cameras recorded the three DJ trials. Drop-jump trials were scored using the landing error scoring system (LESS). A two-way mixed ANOVA was used to determine the effects of training experience and load on landing quality.
Results: There was no significant interaction (p=0.914) between group (EXP and IEXP) and condition (UL and HVR). There was not a significant main effect for condition (p=0.551). For group (EXP and IEXP) the test for between subjects effects was not significantly different (p=0.762).
Conclusions: The results suggest that prior load carriage experience does not result in better landing quality.
References
2. Andersen KA, Grimshaw PN, Kelso RM, Bentley DJ. Musculoskeletal Lower Limb Injury Risk in Army Populations. J Sports Med. 2016;2:22.
3. Bushman TT, Grier TL, Canham-Chervak M, Anderson MK, North WJ, Jones BH. The Functional Movement Screen and Injury Risk: Association and Predictive Value in Active Men. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44(2):297-304.
4. Everard E, Lyons M, Harrison AJ. Examining the association of injury with the Functional Movement Screen and Landing Error Scoring System in military recruits undergoing 16 weeks of introductory fitness training. J Sci Med Sport 2017.
5. Knapik JJ, Cosio-Lima LM, Reynolds KL, Shumway RS. Efficacy of functional movement screening for predicting injuries in coast guard cadets. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(5):1157-1162.
6. O'Connor FG, Deuster PA, Davis J, Pappas CG, Knapik JJ. Functional movement screening:
predicting injuries in officer candidates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(12):2224-2230.
7. Padua DA, DiStefano LJ, Beutler AI, de la Motte SJ, DiStefano MJ, Marshall SW. The Landing Error Scoring System as a Screening Tool for an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury-Prevention
Program in Elite-Youth Soccer Athletes. J Athl Train. 2015;50(6):589-595.
8. Padua DA, Marshall SW, Boling MC, Thigpen CA, Garrett WE, Jr., Beutler AI. The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) Is a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool of jump-landing
biomechanics: The JUMP-ACL study. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37(10):1996-2002.
9. McBride JM, Blow D, Kirby TJ, Haines TL, Dayne AM, Triplett NT. Relationship between maximal squat strength and five, ten, and forty yard sprint times. J Strength Cond Res.
2009;23(6):1633-1636.
10. Onate J, Cortes, N., Welch, C., Van Lunen, BL. Expert versus novice interrater reliability and
criterion validity of the landing error scoring system. J Sport Rehabil. 2010;19(1):41-56.
11. Chu Y, Sell TC, Abt JP, et al. Air assault soldiers demonstrate more dangerous landing
biomechanics when visual input is removed. Mil Med. 2012;177(1):41-47.
12. Dempsey PC, Handcock PJ, Rehrer NJ. Body armour: the effect of load, exercise and distraction
on landing forces. J Sports Sci. 2014;32(4):301-306.
13. Cortes N, Greska E, Kollock R, Ambegaonkar J, Onate JA. Changes in Lower Extremity
Biomechanics Due to a Short-Term Fatigue Protocol. J Athl Train. 2013;48(3):306-313.
14. Wang H, Frame J, Ozimek E, Leib D, Dugan EL. The effects of load carriage and muscle fatigue
on lower-extremity joint mechanics. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2013;84(3):305-312.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright, 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.