Effects of a pretraining conditioning program for less fit Airmobile recruits

Research shows that there is strong evidence that poor performance on a set distance for run time is
a predictor for musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in military and civilian athletic populations. Current
policy accepts recruits with slower run times to start the initial military training, leading to a high
attrition rate due to injuries. This has consequences for the demand for health care, and personnel
occupation of military units. This randomized controlled trial determines the effects of a pretraining
conditioning program for high injury risk Airmobile recruits on running endurance, injury incidences,
and withdrawal from training due to overuse injuries.

A) Recruits in the intervention group show more improvement over time on mean endurance post
intervention and halfway through the AMOL, than recruits in the control group.

B) The chance of
withdrawal from training for overuse injuries of recruits in the intervention group is lower than the
chance of withdrawal from training for recruits in the control group.

Primary: week 1 AMOL, post intervention, and mid-term of the AMOL.

Secondary: success rates and injury incidences of the total training time.

Pretraining conditioning program, with a focus on running endurance. Besides that, strength, core stability, agility and general health are also intervened.

The control group undergoes the usual procedure.