title: Relationships Between Physical Fitness, Demands of Flight Duty, and Musculoskeletal Symptoms Among Military Pilots.
abstract: Although the mechanisms of G-induced stresses on the spinal structure of military pilots are well understood, less is known about relationships between the intensity of physical activity, fitness, occupational musculoskeletal symptoms, and the degree of resulting disabilities. During an aeromedical examination, Finnish military pilots answered a questionnaire on their flying experience, the occurrence of flight duty-related pain, the degree of resulting disabilities, and the intensity of physical activity they conducted. 195 males were selected for further analysis. They were divided into three groups, designated high G, low G, and HQ, according to their current flight duty profile. 93% of pilots who had passed fighter lead-in training reported flight duty-induced musculoskeletal disorders. The high-G group exhibited the highest aerobic capacity (p < 0.001) and muscular fitness scores (p < 0.001). The fittest individuals suffered markedly fewer disabilities than their less fit counterparts (p = 0.005). Flight hour accumulation among the subjects in the high-G group was associated (p = 0.010) with the occurrence of flight duty-induced disabilities. The fittest pilots flew aircraft that induce the heaviest accelerations. They also reported more musculoskeletal pain than the other pilots. Yet they seemed to experience fewer disabilities, which highlights the importance of physical training in the maintenance of operational readiness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rintala
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and Central Hospital, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.affiliation: Medical Staff, Finnish Defence Forces Headquarters, PO Box 919, FI-00131 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siitonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kyröläinen
mesh_terms: D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D000070356:Pilots; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires