Muscle Activity During Load Carriage in ROTC Cadets

An Analysis of Muscle Activity During Load Carriage Activity in Army ROTC Cadets

Army ROTC Cadets who are currently enrolled in Military Science courses will be asked to participate in this experimental research design. A total of 30 healthy cadets consisting of approximately 24 males and six females will be recruited, as this will provide an accurate representation of the overall Army demographics with 17% being female.

Paperwork: After providing consent, participants age and gender will be documented, and height and weight will be measured and documented. Participants will complete a modified version of the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, which has been adjusted to be more specific to the military population. The questionnaire will be filled out indicating the cadet's current level of pain. They will then complete the same questionnaire indicating their pain within the last year.

Protocol: First, the skin will be prepared and surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes will be placed. Dynamic, surface EMG data will be obtained of the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, erector spinae, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris muscles in accordance with SENIAM (Surface Electromyography for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Muscles) guidelines. Skin preparatation will consist of trimming hair if the skin surface at which the electrodes have to be placed is covered with hair. Next, the skin will be cleaned with alcohol. The skin will be allowed to dry prior to electrode placement. Lastly, skin will be abraded to reduce impedance. Following electrode application, participants will complete five minutes of light activity on a bike or treadmill for warm-up. Next, in order to normalize the data, manual muscle tests will be performed for each of the six muscles being test. Then, participants will walk at a speed of four miles per hour for 10 seconds as a dynamic measurement for normalizing the data.

After completion of the two normalization protocols, participants will complete a five kilometer (3.1 mile) walk on a treadmill at a speed of three miles per hour, with and without a 35 lb. load carried in a traditional rucksack. The load conditions will be randomized and counterbalanced in order to mitigate effects of fatigue, and the conditions will be performed in two separate sessions (separated by 24-48 hours).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Back Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: load carriage

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Dakota
    • Fargo, North Dakota, United States, 58108
      • North Dakota State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• current enrollment in military science courses and member of Army ROTC

Exclusion Criteria:

• current musculoskeletal injuries

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Without Load; 5 kilometer walk with no load carried	Other: load carriage; 35 pound load carried on the back
Experimental: With Load; 5 kilometer walk with load	Other: load carriage; 35 pound load carried on the back

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
EMG change over time with Load carriage	muscle activation of rectus femoris, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae with a 35 lb load	2 days
EMG change over time without load	muscle activation of rectus femoris, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae without a 35 lb load	2 days
Modified version of Modified Oswestry Disability Index Current Pain	answers to back pain questionnaire for current level of pain	1 day
Modified version of Modified Oswestry Disability Index Pain in Last Year	answers to back pain questionnaire for any pain within the last year	1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: North Dakota State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 7, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 29, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 21, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 5, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 8, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 8, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 5, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Back Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: HE20208

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No