Cardiorespiratory changes with compact backpack system and distributed mode of load carriage

Area of Science:

• Military Science
• Human Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Soldiers carry heavy loads (21.4 kg) in distributed Load Carriage ensembles (LCe), leading to discomfort and restricted movement.
• A novel backpack (BP) design allows rifle accommodation on the sides, freeing the soldier's hands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To physiologically evaluate the efficacy of a new BP compared to existing LCe for soldiers.
• To assess energy expenditure and physiological responses during load carriage under different conditions.

Main Methods:

• Physiological evaluation of 8 Indian Army soldiers carrying 21.4 kg using existing LCe and the new BP.
• Testing conducted on a treadmill at 4.5 km/h on level ground and a 5% gradient.
• Measurement of heart rate, oxygen consumption, relative workload, and energy expenditure; analyzed with one-way repeated measure ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Higher physiological responses were observed in the distributed load mode (existing LCe) compared to the compact mode (new BP).
• The differences in physiological parameters between the two load carriage methods were not statistically significant.
• The new BP design allows for hands-free rifle carrying, potentially improving soldier mobility.

Conclusions:

• The new backpack design shows potential for improved load carriage, though current data did not yield significant physiological differences.
• Further investigation with a larger sample size is recommended to definitively establish the efficacy of the compact load carriage mode.