The 6th Congress of Exercise and Sport Sciences

The Load Carriage Index (LCI) – Using Body Composition Measurements for Load Carriage Adjustment

Itay Ketko 1,2 Yoram Epstein 2 Amir Hadid 2 Saar Ashri 2 Yuval Heled 2,4 Ran Yanovich 2,3
1The Institute of Military Physiology, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer, Israel
2Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
3Department of Military Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
4Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts, Tel Aviv, Israel

Background: Currently, backload is being distributed among soldiers based on their bodyweight (%BW), without addressing differences in lean body mass (LBM) and %fat. Fat mass, together with backload, are considered "dead mass" (DM) that reduces mobility and effectiveness. It was proposed that the ratio LBM to DM can indicate the ability to carry loads.

Aim: To study the ability to better distribute the loads to be carried by a team of soldiers by using a load carriage index (LCI=LBM/DM).

Methods: Fifteen subjects randomly performed two exercise protocols: (1) carrying 55% of their BW; (2) carrying backload according to their LCI. The oxygen consumption during exercise, BW, %fat, LBM, LCI and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), were compared between group MORE who carried more load after load re-distribution according to the LCI and group LESS who carried less load.

Results: There were no differences between both groups in BW, LBM, VO2max and the oxygen consumption during exercise in the 55%BW condition. However, the LCI, calculated before the re-distribution of loads, was significantly lower (p0.001) in group LESS as compared to group MORE (1.2±0.1 and 1.3±0.1, respectively). The oxygen consumption while carrying 55%BW, was significantly higher (p0.001) for group LESS as compared to group MORE (24.4±1.5 and 21.2±1.6, respectively). Participants in the LESS sub-group presented greater total double support percentage (mean difference of 2.1% with a standard error difference of 0.6, p0.01) and lower single support percentage (mean difference of 0.84% with a standard error difference of 0.3, p0.05), as compared to the those in the sub-group MORE. After load re-distribution (LCI condition), the differences in oxygen consumption and all tested gait spatiotemporal parameters were diminished, as no significant differences were found between sub-groups.

Conclusion: By using the LCI, the metabolic cost of load carriage was reduced for those with lower carrying ability, by "using" group members with a better LCI. We suggest the LCI as a helpful index for a better given load distribution among a group of soldiers, according to their body composition rather than relying on %BW, in regard to their physiological ability.

Itay Ketko
Itay Ketko
IDF Medical Corps








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