Combat medics face extreme fitness demands, military training needs overhaul
Canadian military medics performing emergency care in tactical settings experience heart rates 81% of maximum and exertion levels that exceed official fitness standards. The finding suggests reserve forces training programs are misaligned with real operational demands, forcing recruiters and trainers to rethink how they prepare personnel for field medicine.
Originaltitel: Physiological Demands of Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Medics During Simulated Tactical Combat Casualty Care
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to measure the physiological demands of reserve medics performing tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) within evacuation scenarios. METHODS: ) and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded at the end. RESULTS: max, and mean HR was 153.0 ± 15.8 bpm (81% of HRmax). Final RPE was 13.4 ± 1.1. CONCLUSIONS: demands of these tasks exceed those required to successfully perform the CAF physical employment standard. Due to these physiological requirements, occupational training courses should prioritize combining fitness training at a relatively high intensity with medical tasks to best simulate the occupational environment.