BLUF Over a 4-week period, MTI athletes subscribed to our daily streams completed either 1.5 or 3 hours per week of Zone 2 running. Despite the low training volume and minimal intervention time, most athletes who completed the protocol demonstrated improvements in aerobic base, assessed by total distance covered during a fixed-time Zone 2 effort. These results […]
Emmett Shaul
Research Review: Only 4 States Require Ongoing Fitness Standards for Active-Duty Law Enforcement Officers
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This survey of 49 U.S. states found that the majority do not require physical fitness standards for police recruits or active-duty officers. Entry and graduation testing are inconsistent, and 88% of states have no ongoing standard for officers once on the job. Instructor qualifications, injury tracking, and training safety protocols are […]
Research Review: Creatine Improves Cognitive Performance During Sleep Deprivation
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study tested whether taking a single high dose of creatine monohydrate (0.35 g/kg bodyweight) could reduce the effects of sleep deprivation on mental performance and brain energy levels. Compared to a placebo, creatine improved memory, attention, and mental processing speed, and changed how the brain used and stored energy. These effects appeared within 3.5 hours, […]
Intern “Geek Cycle” Explores the King of Upper Body Lifts, Beep Test, Grease the Groove, Broad Jumps, and a Chassis Integrity Assessment
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) Beginning in June, MTI will welcome three new interns to join the full-time coach currently stationed in Ogden. Together, they will complete a 5-week Geek Cycle aimed at testing: Background The King of Upper Body Lifts In a past “King of Strength” mini-study, MTI tested back squats, deadlifts, and thrusters to […]
Case Study: Can you improve Max Effort Strength and Loaded Uphill Endurance Concurrently?
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Two MTI Lab Rats completed a 4-week mini study designed to test whether max effort barbell strength and loaded uphill endurance could be trained concurrently. Both athletes improved across nearly all strength and endurance assessments: This study followed a similar format to a previous MTI mini-study—Max Effort Strength + Aerobic […]
Research Review: BMI Doesn’t Reflect Strength or Readiness in Tactical Testing
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study looked at how body composition—muscle mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, and body weight—relates to performance on two different military fitness assessments. For bodyweight-based events like push-ups and running, candidates with lower body fat and less mass generally performed better. For strength and load-bearing tasks like deadlifts and […]
Research Review: Two Mile Performance and Fat Free Mass – Indicators for 12 Mile Ruck Performance
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This study examined what physical traits and fitness scores predicted success in a 12-mile (19.3-km) ruck march with a 35-lb (15.9-kg) load. Cadets who finished under the Army’s 3-hour standard had lower body fat, greater fat-free mass, and higher Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) scores. The strongest predictors of finishing […]
Research Review: The Impact of Rapid Weight Loss on Wrestler Health and Recovery
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This review analyzed 73 studies on rapid weight loss (RWL) in male and female wrestlers. While dropping up to 5% of bodyweight in a short period doesn’t always reduce performance, it consistently increases injury risk, raises stress hormones, suppresses testosterone, and leads to dehydration and poor recovery—even with up to […]
Research Review: Poles Reduce Ground Force by Over 5% and Boost Uphill Performance
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 […]
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, […]