Lucia Raatma - The Science of Soldiers

N ot everyone is able to be a soldier. It takes a certain kind of man or woman toputon a uniform and face danger. For this reason soldiers are carefully screenedand thoroughly trained before they go on active duty.

The main branches of the U.S. military are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, andCoast Guard. All of these branches provide critical services in defending the nation.The members of these groups often work together on important missions.

To be combat ready, soldiers have to be physically fit, which involves physiology.They may have to endure scorching days or frigid nights. They might climb mountains,wade through waist-deep water, and carry heavy gear for miles.

When men and women join the military, they go through intensive training periods.

When men and women join the military, they go through intensive training periods,sometimes called boot camp. They do exercises and drills every day to hone theirphysical condition. They work on cardiovascular fitness, which targets their heartrate. Training includes running, biking, and swimming. Soldiers also learn to hikefor miles while wearing heavy backpacks.

New Types of Training

In recent years Army training has evolved to accommodate the kinds of conditionssoldiers might experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries. Therefore miles-longruns have been replaced by sprints in some training programs.

Soldiers work on strength and endurance. They lift weights and use resistance trainingto increase their muscle strength. They may test themselves by running obstacle courses,including climbing walls, jumping over bodies of water, and crawling through tunnels.Soldiers also need to be flexible. They stretch their muscles after exercise so theyremain limber. Being flexible can help a soldier climb a mountain faster or parachutemore effectively from a plane.

The Physiology of AEROBIC FITNESS

Most people know that aerobic exercise is good for the heart, but there is more toit. Aerobic activity uses oxygen to provide energy for all the bodys muscles. Soldierswho train aerobically experience the following:

• More air moves through the lungs
• Oxygen moves from the lungs and into the bloodstream.
• As the heart pumps faster, more oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the muscles.
• The blood vessels change size to move blood away from inactive muscles and towardactive ones.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Most military groups require soldiers to meet specific body composition standards.This means they have a healthy weight based on their height. Body mass index (BMI)is a number that calculates body fat, based on height and weight. In general, a normalBMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, but some professional athletes can be healthy and havea higher BMI. Most military groups require that soldiers have a BMI of 27.5 or lower.It is important that they dont have extra pounds to slow them down when they arein combat. Also, extra weight can lead to a higher risk of injury or disease.