Physiological Responses to Training and Work
Understanding the physiological responses to training and work are important to ensure that personnel are capable of meeting the demands placed upon them. This knowledge can potentially optimise gains in fitness, reduce injury rates and inform interventions designed to alleviate the physical burden, leading to a greater probability of training/work success.
Optimal Performance Limited has extensive experience in measuring physiological responses to training. We have conducted audits of Basic, Infantry, Parachute Regiment and Officer training for the British Army and Phase One training for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Our expertises extend to extreme environments having measured the demands of the Section Commanders Battle Course during the winter in the mountains of the Brecon Beacons (Wales, UK), responses of Fire Fighters during live-fire scenarios (Morton in Marsh and London, UK) and responses to training of UAE Officer Cadets in the desert (Abu Dhabi, UAE).
We have assessed Emergency Service personnel during training exercises and undertaken ergonomic assessments of Environment Agency workers and recommendations were made on how to optimise safe working procedures.
Our capabilities in this area include:
- Field and laboratory based monitoring of up to 50 individuals with live feedback and/or logging of data
- Range of field and laboratory measurements using our own equipment, including: heart rate, core and skin temperature, oxygen uptake, body composition, energy expenditure, pulmonary function and environmental conditions. For full list and details see technical expertise page
- Tracking changes in fitness, body composition and injury rates during training
- Appraising, developing and amending training programmes to optimise performance and reduce injury.
Example Physiological Responses to Training projects:
Linnane DM, Brown PI, Wilkinson DM, Blacker SD, Richmond VL, Horner FE, Rayson MP. (2010) A Physical Demands Analysis of Phase One Training at RAF HaltonOptimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK. Report OPL/10/10, 30 September 2010
Richmond VL, Wilkinson DM, and Rayson MP. (2010) The physical demands of the Commissioning Course for Officer Cadets and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, Report OPL/10/07: 01 April 2010
Blacker SD, Horner FE, Brown PI, Pearson E, Wilkinson DM, Rayson MP (2010) Evaluation of Health, Nutrition and Physical Fitness of Cadets on the Joint Services Officer Commissioning Course. Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, Report OPL/10/05: 19 January 2010
Richmond VL, Horner FE, Wilkinson DM, Rayson MP, Wright A, Cook AC, Izard R. (2009) Energy balance and physical demands during the Section Commanders Battle Course. Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, 2 March 2009
Carter JC, Wilkinson DM, Richmond VL, Rayson MP. (2008) Physiological Assessment of Firefighters undertaking Urban Search and Rescue. Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, 17/2008: December 2008
Carter JM, Izard R, Blacker SD, Wilkinson DM, Rayson MP, Bilzon JLJ. (2006) The Physical Demands of the Combined Infantry Course for Guardsmen at ITC Catterick. Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, 10 October 2006
Wilkinson DM, Rayson MP and Bilzon JLJ. (2003) The Physical Demands of the Combined Parachute Regiment Training Syllabus, Optimal Performance Ltd., Bristol, UK, 31 October 2003
Rayson MP and Wilkinson DM. (2002) The Role of the Environment Agency’s Emergency Work Force – a Physical Demands and Risk Analysis. Report to the Environment Agency, Optimal Performance Limited, Farnham, UK, 21 October 2002.
Rayson MP, Wilkinson DM and Blacker S. (2001) The Physical Demands of CMS(R): an Ergonomic Assessment. OPL Technical Report to SO1 Occ Med, HQ ATRA. Optimal Performance Limited, Farnham, UK, 7 January 2002
Rayson MP and Wilkinson DM. (2001) Energy Expenditure during CMS(R). OPL Technical Report to the Adjutant General. Optimal Performance Limited, Farnham, UK, 20 November, 2001
