BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study tested whether trekking poles reduce leg strain during steep uphill movement. Fifteen trained trail runners performed treadmill and outdoor uphill climbs with and without poles, both at moderate and maximum effort. Using force sensors and metabolic testing, researchers found that poles consistently reduced impact on the legs—especially during […]
Emmett Shaul
Research Review: How Fatigue Alters Movement During Loaded Ruck Marches
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study examined how fatigue changes soldiers’ movement mechanics during a loaded ruck march. Using wearable sensors during a 7+ mile field march, researchers tracked gait and torso movement among 70 infantrymen from the 82nd Airborne Division. As the march progressed, fatigue led to clear biomechanical changes: stride length shortened, […]
Research Review: How Aerobic Conditioning Impacts Firefighter Performance and Survival
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This article reviews how aerobic fitness impacts firefighters’ ability to perform their job, stay healthy, and avoid injuries. Despite fewer fires today compared to past decades, sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, especially during fire suppression and physical training. Many firefighters do not meet […]
Research Review: Endurance Drops After Two Years in Detention Roles
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) The longer deputy sheriffs work in detention-based roles, the worse their performance becomes on job-specific physical tasks. Deputies who spent four or more years in detention showed significant declines in tasks like obstacle courses, fence climbs, and sprint efforts compared to recruits and other deputies. Performance on the 500-yard run—a […]
Research Review: General Aerobic Base Doesn’t Transfer to the Demands of Sport Climbing
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study confirms that general aerobic capacity has no meaningful relationship to climbing-specific aerobic capacity or performance. In contrast, forearm oxidative recovery, oxygen use in the forearms during climbing, and climbing-specific VO₂peak (measured on a treadwall) were all strong predictors of red-point climbing ability. When combined, these three measures explained 67% of […]
Research Review: Mechanical Effects of Knee Wraps During Submaximal Back Squat Exercise
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study assessed the mechanical and performance effects of wearing knee wraps during the back squat at 80% 1RM. Results showed increased vertical impulse and peak power output when knee wraps were worn, likely due to the elastic energy stored during the descent and released during the ascent. However, knee […]
Research Review: Real-World Load Conditions Reveal Gaps in Police Standard Fitness Testing
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study investigated whether wearing a full police uniform affects performance on the Dutch National Police Physical Competence Test (PCT). Results showed that wearing the uniform significantly slowed completion time, increased perceived exertion (RPE), and elevated cumulative physiological load. While physiological intensity did not differ significantly, performance declines were seen […]
Research Review: Minimum Training Dose for 1RM Strength Improvement in Trained Lifters
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This multi-study paper investigates the minimum effective training dose (METD) needed to produce meaningful 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength gains in powerlifters. The authors concluded that 3–6 weekly working sets of 1–5 reps at >80% 1RM and RPE 7.5–9.5, over 6–12 weeks, are sufficient to elicit 1RM improvements. The RPE, or Rate of Perceived […]
Research Review: Muscle Maintenance During Caloric Deficit – Lessons from Alaska Hunters for Tactical Athletes
By Emmett Shaul BLUF A pilot study examined the effects of Alaska backcountry expeditionary hunting on skeletal muscle protein synthesis under conditions of physical and nutrient stress. The study found that despite significant negative energy balance and weight loss , participants maintained skeletal muscle mass. The study also found that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) increased […]
Research Review: Effects of Polarized vs. Other Training Intensity Distribution Models on Endurance Performance
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This scoping review compared the long-term effects of Polarized Training (POL) with other Training Intensity Distribution (TID) models—Pyramidal (PYR), Threshold (THR), and Block Training (BT)—on endurance performance and physiological adaptations. In endurance athletes ranging from trained to world-class (Tiers 2–5), POL and PYR models were generally more effective than THR […]