The Effects of Torso-Borne Loads on Functional Movement Patterns

Functional movement patterns are an important aspect of everyday life, and a growing area of interest for determining the risk of injury and performance ability. Police, military, and fire personnel often carry torso-borne loads that increase the demands on the body while performing occupational tasks. The purpose of this study was to compare movement screen results in both a loaded and unloaded condition to identify potential effects that torso-borne body armor load carriage may have on tactical performance. This provided objective data on the effects that external loads may have on functional movement patterns. Twenty-four physically active participants (11 males, 13 females) volunteered and completed the Fusionetics™ Movement Efficiency Test (FMET) in two conditions: loaded (wearing a 13.5 kg tactical vest) and unloaded, in a counterbalanced order. Participants were video recorded performing these movements and scored later. The overall scores, on a scale of 0 to 100, showed a large, statistically significant decline in functional movement pattern quality from the unloaded to the loaded condition (12.6±7.3 points, p<.001, d=1.8). In the subscales, statistically significant declines (p<.001) were seen in the 2-leg squat (d=0.8), push-ups (d=1.1), shoulder movements (d=2.1), and trunk movements (d=0.9). There was no significant effect of load on the cervical movements or 1-leg squat. Overall, torso-borne body armor loading decreased functional movement pattern quality, suggesting the potential benefit of performing loaded movement screens on tactical athletes.