Army Training at High Intensity Study

NCT ID: NCT02407093

Last Updated: 2020-11-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

138 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-10-28

Study Completion Date

2020-06-28

Brief Summary

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Although soldiers must be ready to respond to occupational and war theatre demands at a moment's notice, there is an epidemic of overweight and obesity and a need for improved fitness and health in the military. Using a cluster randomized clinical trial we propose to test the effectiveness of a High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) exercise intervention to improve the body composition and fitness of active duty military personnel. The effectiveness of the HIFT intervention will be compared to usual Army Physical Readiness Training. Main outcomes will include changes in body composition and traditional fitness measures, a test of combat-preparation, and measures of cardiovascular health risk for both groups.

Detailed Description

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We will examine the effectiveness of a high-intensity functional training (HIFT) exercise intervention compared to Army Physical Readiness Training (APRT) and their related dietary instructions in improving body composition (percent body fat \[%BF\], fat mass, lean body mass, weight) and domains of Total Force Fitness (TFF; Army Physical Fitness Test \[APFT\], aerobic capacity, power, strength, and combat preparation and readiness) in a 6-month cluster-randomized clinical trial (CRCT) with 2 (+/- 1) month follow-up. We also will examine the effects of both exercise programs on cardiovascular disease (CVD) health risk (resting heart rate, blood pressure). We will conduct assessments at baseline, 6-months, and 2-month follow-up (+/- 1 month). We also will assess training time/volume, injuries, adverse events, adherence, and participant satisfaction and account for demographic and psychosocial variables.

In our CRCT, we aim to recruit and randomize approximately 150 soldiers (n=15 clusters-staff groups/platoons-per condition with at least 5 soldiers nested within each cluster) comparing the effectiveness of HIFT versus usual care (APRT) on:

Specific Aim 1 - changes in body composition including: percent body fat (%BF), fat mass, fat free mass, and body weight.

We hypothesize that soldiers in the HIFT condition will be significantly more likely to decrease a. %BF and b. fat mass, and to increase c. fat free mass than those in the APRT condition; we expect both groups to d. maintain body weight.

Specific Aim 2 - changes in fitness (e.g., APFT, power, strength), while accounting for actual physical training time in each condition.

We hypothesize that soldiers in the HIFT condition will have significantly greater improvement in their performance on fitness tests when compared to those in APRT, despite significantly less total training time. These outcomes will help determine if functional-oriented training can result in better fitness and combat preparedness for Army personnel.

Conditions

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Obesity

Keywords

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Body Composition Military High-Intensity Functional Training Army Physical Fitness CrossFit

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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High-Intensity Functional Training

CrossFit will be the HIFT intervention framework with training elements, exercise programming, and scheduling set by CrossFit staff. Workouts will be comprised of one or more of three exercise modalities: aerobic/monostructural (e.g., running), gymnastics (e.g., pullups), and weightlifting/resistance training with workouts designed to maximize use of equipment available in deployed environments (e.g.,vehicle tires). All workouts will be individually scaled to each soldier's current level of fitness by a certified trainer. Sessions will be standardized across the 6 months of intervention so that each cluster will receive exactly the same training.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

High-Intensity Functional Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity and incorporating monostructural (aerobic), gymnastics (body weight) and/or weightlifting movements. CrossFit is a good model of HIFT for the military because of its emphasis on general physical preparedness and functional movements and because it is open source and programming is available at no cost (see www.crossfit.com). Sixty-minute HIFT sessions will include a warm-up, workout and cool down. Workouts will average 15 minutes in duration (range = 5-45 minutes) for a total of 50-100 minutes per week.

Army Physical Readiness Training

The APRT program has combat readiness as the primary focus and is mandated for active duty personnel. For this study, APRT sessions have been standardized across the 6 months of the intervention according to FM 7-22 "Army Physical Readiness Training" manual so each cluster will receive the same training program using the Reset Phase. Sessions will consist of preparation, activities and recovery and will include strength, endurance, and mobility exercises that involve on-ground (e.g., running), off-ground (e.g., climbing), and combatives (e.g., striking and grappling) training, with supervision by a certified trainer.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Army Physical Readiness Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Usual physical training program for Army personnel from directive FM 7-22, using the Reset phase. Exercises will address strength, endurance, and mobility training. APRT is designed to be completed in 60-90 minute sessions, 5 days/week for a total dose of 300-450 minutes per week.

Interventions

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High-Intensity Functional Training

Constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity and incorporating monostructural (aerobic), gymnastics (body weight) and/or weightlifting movements. CrossFit is a good model of HIFT for the military because of its emphasis on general physical preparedness and functional movements and because it is open source and programming is available at no cost (see www.crossfit.com). Sixty-minute HIFT sessions will include a warm-up, workout and cool down. Workouts will average 15 minutes in duration (range = 5-45 minutes) for a total of 50-100 minutes per week.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Army Physical Readiness Training

Usual physical training program for Army personnel from directive FM 7-22, using the Reset phase. Exercises will address strength, endurance, and mobility training. APRT is designed to be completed in 60-90 minute sessions, 5 days/week for a total dose of 300-450 minutes per week.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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CrossFit Army PT

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* physical activity clearance to participate in the study via the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire;
* willingness to adhere to study protocol and complete all study assessments; and
* high likelihood of assignment to the military post over the 8 (+/-) 1-month course of the study.

Exclusion Criteria

* being on permanent or temporary medical profile or having any medical condition or injury which would prevent participation in the exercise protocols;
* having a pacemaker or other implanted/internal electrical device;
* currently on administrative leave or assigned to exclusively administrative duties; and
* (if female) pregnant or lactating, or planning to become pregnant in the next 9-months.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

64 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Kansas State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Katie M. Heinrich

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Katie M Heinrich, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Kansas State University

Walker SC Poston, PhD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Develop and Research Institutes

Locations

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Fort Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Kansas, United States

Site Status

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Poston WS, Haddock CK, Heinrich KM, Jahnke SA, Jitnarin N, Batchelor DB. Is High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT)/CrossFit Safe for Military Fitness Training? Mil Med. 2016 Jul;181(7):627-37. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00273.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27391615 (View on PubMed)

Haddock CK, Poston WS, Heinrich KM, Jahnke SA, Jitnarin N. The Benefits of High-Intensity Functional Training Fitness Programs for Military Personnel. Mil Med. 2016 Nov;181(11):e1508-e1514. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00503.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27849484 (View on PubMed)

Poston WS, Haddock CK, Heinrich KM, Jahnke SA, Jitnarin N, Batchelor DB, Feito Y, Suminski RR. Response: Is High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT)/CrossFit Safe for Military Fitness Training? Mil Med. 2017 Jan;182(1):1476-1479. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-16-00369. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28051964 (View on PubMed)

Feito Y, Heinrich KM, Butcher SJ, Poston WSC. High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): Definition and Research Implications for Improved Fitness. Sports (Basel). 2018 Aug 7;6(3):76. doi: 10.3390/sports6030076.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30087252 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1R01DK099516-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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