title: Health, fitness, and responses to military training of officer cadets in a Gulf Cooperation Council country.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the health, fitness, and physiological responses to military training of Officer Cadets from a Gulf Cooperation Council country.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nineteen Officer Cadets volunteered; body composition, core body temperature, aerobic fitness, hydration status (urine osmolality), cardiovascular strain, physical activity (3-dimensional accelerometry), and energy expenditure (doubly labelled water) were measured over 5-days of Basic Training (BT), Army Training (AT), Navy Training (NT), and Air Force Training (AFT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between courses for body mass index (mean all courses: 24.1 +/- 4.1 kg x m2) or peak core body temperature (mean all courses: 38.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C) (p > 0.05). AT body fat (19.8 +/- 3.6%) and BT VO2 max (36.8 +/- 11.6 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) were lower than the other courses (BT, 26.1 +/- 8.1; NT, 26.0 +/- 6.0; AFT, 24.7 +/- 6.1%) and (AT, 44.8 +/- 9.6; NT, 45.0 +/- 7.5; AFT, 44.6 +/- 5.2 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)), respectively (p < 0.05). NT urine osmolality (979 +/- 90 mOsmol x kg(-1)) was similar to BT (946 +/- 181 mOsmol x kg(-1) p > 0.05) but lower in AT (868 +/- 144 mOsmol x kg(-1), p < 0.05) and AFT (883 +/- 121 mOsmol x kg(-1), p < 0.05). Cardiovascular strain during NT (22 +/- 5% HRR) was lower than other courses (range, 25 +/- 4-29 +/- 3% Heart Rate Reserve) (p < 0.05). Physical activity level during AFT (1.70 +/- 0.18 AU) was lower than other courses (range, 1.86 +/- 0.21-1.92 +/- 0.18 AU) (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive developments were apparent from BT leading into other courses. Potential exists to increase physical training volume on all courses, which may improve participants' aerobic fitness, body composition, and health.
authors.affiliation: Optimal Performance Limited, The Coach House, 26B Oakfield Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2AT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sam D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Blacker
authors.forename: Fleur L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: Peter I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Linnane
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Les J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Bluck
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rayson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D006113:United Kingdom