| Keywords |
400 km ; Military march schedule ; Lower body function ; Mental ; Special force soldiers |
| Abstract |
Introduction : This study examined the effects of three schedules of annual training of 400 km military march(400 km) of Korean Special Force soldiers on knee function and mental states. Methods : Ninety six Korean Special Force soldiers(25.5±3.7 yrs; 176.8±5.0 cm; 72.5±5.9 kg; 43.0±33.2 month of military career) participated in 400 km. They were randomly assigned into one of 3 march types differing schedules; traditional march(TM; n=15; 6 day×50 km-1 day rest-100 km), late stage 100 march(L100 km: n=49; 3 day×50 km-1 day rest?3 day×50 km-1 day rest-100 km), early stage 100 march(E100 km; n=32; 100-1 day rest-3 day×50 km-1 day rest- 3×50 km). Before and after the march, knee function was assessed by questioning 8 lower body functions; limping, supporting, stair climbing, sitting down, instability, pain, swelling, and thigh tightness. Mental Toughness was evaluated with subscale of competitiveness, hard fighting, patience, and fighting spirit. Knee function and Mental Toughness were calculated and scored. Perception toward 400K was assessed by 3 open questions in 5 point Likert scale. Results : Total score of knee function was 93.7±14.8 and 97.7±2.6 in TM, 84.7±19.6 and 85.0±20.1 in L100 km, and 80.7±14.6 and 81.4±15.9 in E100 km, before and after 400 km(p>0.05). Mental Toughness increased from 3.8±0.6 to 4.2±0.7 by 400 km in L100 km, but decreased from 4.2±0.5 to 3.8±0.7 in E100 km. Mental Toughness after 400 km was significantly different between L100 km and E100 km(p<0.05). Mental Toughness of TM was not different after 400 km. Positive perception toward 400K was 3.8±0.7 and 3.9±0.7 in TM, 3.2±1.1 and 4.0±1.0 in L100 km, and 4.2±0.7 and 3.1±0.9 in E100km, before and after the 400km, respectively. The perception after the 400K was higher in TM and L100K than E100 km (p<0.05). Conclusion : Any three types of marching schedule did not change knee function. However, the number of days of resting and the march distance indeed affected the mental status of the soldiers. The findings of this study are valuable for developing and implementing long duration military march. Practical application and strategy development should be considered. |