Are Men and Women Equally Affected by Load Carriage While Landing? Analysis of Balance in Spanish Infantry Soldiers

in Motor Control

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Eva Orantes-Gonzalez Department of Sports and Computer Science, Faculty of Sports, University of Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
Human Behavior and Motion Analysis Lab (HubemaLab), University of Granada, Ceuta, Spain

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J. Heredia-Jimenez Human Behavior and Motion Analysis Lab (HubemaLab), University of Granada, Ceuta, Spain
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education, Economy, and Technology, University of Granada, Ceuta, Spain

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/mc.2021-0016
Keywords:
gender; combat equipment; stability
First Published Online:
10 Dec 2021
In Print:
Volume 26: Issue 1
Page Range:
48–57
Restricted access

In this study, the effect of carrying combat equipment and a backpack on balance between men and women was analyzed by simulating a jump out of an armored fighting vehicle, together with the influence of body composition variables. Thirty-seven men and eight women participated in this study. Three landings were performed by simulating a jump from a wheeled armored vehicle carrying no load, carrying the combat equipment and backpack condition. A force plate was used to measure the amplitude and velocity displacement of the center of pressure and the stabilization time. A significant load effect was found on the total velocity and medial–lateral velocity. The weight of the combat equipment and the body composition variables did not correlate with the balance variables. Male and female soldiers showed similar body balance while carrying military combat equipment.

Orantes-Gonzalez (meoragon@upo.es) is corresponding author, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8893-3996

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