title: Evaluation of the performance of females as light infantry soldiers.
abstract: A few countries permit women to serve in combat roles, but their long term performance in these positions has not been reported. The incidences of overuse injuries and attrition of 85 male and 235 female recruits in a light infantry brigade was followed in a three-year prospective study. Females were shorter (162 cm, CI 161-163 cm) than males (174 cm, CI 173-176), had more body fat (18.9 kg, CI 18.2-19.6 kg) than males (12.6 kg, 11.3-13.8 kg), had lower [Formula: see text]O2max (36.8 mL·min(-1) ·kg(-1), CI 35.8-37.78 mL·min(-1) ·kg(-1)) than males (50.48 mL·min(-1) ·kg(-1), CI 48.4 to 52.48 mL·min(-1) ·kg(-1)), had more stress fractures (21.0%, 95% CI 16.2-26.5%) than males (2.3%, CI 0.3-8.2%), and had more anterior knee pain (41.2%, CI 34.9-47.7%) than males (24.7%, CI 16.0-35.2%). Three-year attrition was 28% CI 22-34% for females and 37% CI 26-48% for males. The females in this study successfully served as light infantry soldiers. Their lower fitness and high incidence of overuse injuries might impede service as regular infantry soldiers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin & Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel ; Israel Defense Forces Institute of Military Physiology and Heller Institute of Medical Research, Haim Sheba Medical Center, Military P.O. Box 02149, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Aharon S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Finestone
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Medical School, Ein Kerem, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milgrom
authors.affiliation: Israel Defense Forces Institute of Military Physiology and Heller Institute of Medical Research, Haim Sheba Medical Center, Military P.O. Box 02149, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanovich
authors.affiliation: Bone Health Research Program, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Military Performance Division, Natick, MA 01760, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Medical School, Ein Kerem, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Naama
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Constantini
authors.affiliation: Israel Defense Forces Institute of Military Physiology and Heller Institute of Medical Research, Haim Sheba Medical Center, Military P.O. Box 02149, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel ; Ariel University, 40700 Ariel, Israel.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult