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Stress and infection
1Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines, Lympstone.
Abstract:
The pattern of infective episodes during Royal Marines training over a four-year period has been established. There were 4,529 attendances at the Sickbay with apparent infective episodes. Peaks of infection tended to follow three or more nights in the field suggesting that the resistance to infective insult was lessened following these field exercises. The highest incidence of infection occurred during the final weeks of training when the physical and mental pressures were greatest, during the Commando course. This often manifested itself as skin sepsis. A judiciously-placed week of less stressful activity led to a major reduction in all infections at this stage of training. This is evidence that physical and mental stress may lead to infective episodes. The phenomenon is being more fully investigated by the Institute of Naval Medicine.
Insights
Physical and mental stress during Royal Marines training correlates with increased infective episodes, particularly skin sepsis. Reducing training intensity significantly lowers infection rates, indicating stress impacts immunity.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Infective episodes are a concern during demanding military training.
- Understanding infection patterns can optimize training protocols and troop health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the pattern of infective episodes during Royal Marines training.
- To investigate the correlation between training stress and infection incidence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 4,529 sickbay attendances for infective episodes over four years.
- Correlation of infection peaks with specific training phases (field exercises, Commando course).
Main Results:
- Infection peaks occurred after prolonged field exercises and during high-stress final training weeks (Commando course).
- Skin sepsis was a common manifestation during peak stress periods.
- A reduced-stress training week led to a significant decrease in infections.
Conclusions:
- Intense physical and mental stress during military training can compromise immune resistance, leading to increased infective episodes.
- Training load management, including periods of reduced activity, is crucial for mitigating infection risk.