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Physical performance of female soldiers
This site provides an overview on matters relating to female soldiers’ physical performance, physical training, reproductive hormones, musculoskeletal disorders and nutritional needs. Welcome!
As carrying out military tasks involves various physiological stress factors, it is advisable to identify these factors before entering military service. While in military service, female soldiers carry out the same tasks as males do, but biological differences often result in greater physiological stress for females, particularly as concerns maximal aerobic capacity.1 Women tend to have a lower mean body mass, height, skeletal muscle mass, maximal strength and power compared to those of men. Additionally, women are at a higher risk for developing stress fractures. As women’s total energy expenditure is lower, they are more susceptible to the negative consequences of an energy deficit. Figure 1 outlines the physiological requirements of female soldiers as well as the consequences resulting from an energy deficit.2
Figure 1. Physiological requirements of female soldiers: ♀ indicates women and ♂ men.2
HPO=hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, EA= energy availability, FFM=fat free mass, RDA=recommended daily allowance
1Greeves J. P. (2015). Physiological Implications, Performance Assessment and Risk Mitigation Strategies of Women in Combat-Centric Occupations. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 29 Suppl 11, S94–S100. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001116
2Wardle SL, O'Leary TJ, McClung JP, Pasiakos SM, Greeves JP.(2021). Feeding female soldiers: Consideration of sex-specific nutrition recommendations to optimise the health and performance of military personnel. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2021 Oct;24(10):995-1001. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.08.011.