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Body armor, performance, and physiology during repeated high-intensity work tasks
Brianna Larsen1, Kevin Netto, Daniel Skovli
1Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia.
Military Medicine
|December 4, 2012
Summary
Wearing military body armor significantly slows performance in high-intensity work tasks. This impairment is linked to the armor
Area of Science:
- Military science
- Human performance
- Physiology
Background:
- Military personnel frequently operate under demanding conditions requiring protective gear.
- The physiological and performance impacts of wearing body armor during intense, repeated work are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of body armor on performance during simulated high-intensity military work.
- To assess physiological responses and task completion times with and without body armor.
Main Methods:
- Twelve males completed 11 repetitions of a simulated military circuit.
- Performance metrics (task time, circuit completion time) were recorded.
- Physiological data (heart rate, core temperature, perceived exertion) were collected.
Main Results:
- Circuit completion time was significantly slower by 7.3 seconds when wearing body armor (approx. 17 kg).
- Specific tasks like shooting, vaulting, and crawling were also impaired.
- Higher core temperatures and perceived exertion were noted with armor, but heart rate remained unchanged.
Conclusions:
- Wearing body armor negatively impacts performance in repeated, high-intensity military tasks.
- The performance decrement appears related to the load of the armor itself, not accumulating fatigue over the tested duration.
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