Quantification of daily workload, energy expenditure, and sleep of US Marine recruits throughout a 10-week boot camp

Issue title: Special Section: Physical Employment Standards

Guest editors: Robin M. Orr, Gemma S. Milligan, Sam D. Blacker, Jace Drain, Tara Reilly, Etienne Chassé, Andrew Siddall, Stephen Foulis, Helen Kilding and Veronica Jamnik

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kloss, Emily B.^{a; b} | Niederberger, Brenda A.^{a; b} | Givens, Andrea C.^{a; b} | Beck, Meghan S.^{a; b} | Bernards, Jake R.^{a; b} | Bennett, Daniel W.^{a; b} | Kelly, Karen R.^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] pplied Translational Exercise and Metabolic Physiology Team, Warfighter Performance, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA | [b] Leidos, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Karen R. Kelly, Leidos, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA. Email: karen.r.kelly8.civ@health.mil.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:During periods of high-volume vigorous exercise, United States Marine Corps recruits often experience musculoskeletal injuries. While the program of instruction (POI) for basic training is a defined training volume, the total workload of boot camp, including movements around the base, is unknown. OBJECTIVE:The present study aimed to quantify the daily total workload, energy expenditure, and sleep during basic recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego. METHODS:Eighty-four male recruits from MCRD San Diego wore wrist wearable physiological monitors to capture their complete workload (mileage from steps), energy expenditure, and sleep throughout the 10-week boot camp. RESULTS:Marine recruits traveled an average of 11.5±3.4 miles per day (M±SD), expended 4105±823 kcal per day, and slept an average of 5 : 48±1 : 06 hours and minutes per night. While the POI designates a total of 46.3 miles of running and hiking, the actual daily average miles yielded approximately 657.6±107.2 miles over the 10-week boot camp. CONCLUSION:Recruit training requires high physical demand and time under tension due to the cumulative volume of movements around base in addition to the POI planned physical training.

Keywords: Work, workload, military, inservice training, energy expenditure, sleep

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230554

Journal: Work, vol. 77, no. 4, pp. 1285-1294, 2024