Terrain Factors for Predicting Walking and Load Carriage Energy Costs: Review and Refinement

Authors

  • Paul W Richmond U.S. Army Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH
  • Adam W Potter U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM)
  • William R Santee U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12922/jshp.v3i3.67

Keywords:

metabolic cost, modeling, military

Abstract

The ability to predict the energy cost of load carriage is important to various disciplines and applications including anthropology, exercise physiology, humanitarian aid, and dismounted military operations.  Energy consumption in turn determines the physiological status of individuals and populations and their ability to function via internal heat production, hydration, fatigue, and caloric intake.  Various parameters of the physical environment, including topographic relief and surface conditions impact those energy costs. To be comprehensive, predictive load carriage cost models must incorporate body mass, load, positive and negative grades, and adjustments for surface conditions.  Models developed at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) in the 1970s incorporated an adjustment for surface conditions, i.e. a terrain factor.  However, the terrain factors were derived empirically from data for a relatively limited set of surface conditions or classes.  Aside from efforts to apply the classification of terrain factors to a broader set of conditions, little work has been done on to improve terrain factors since the 1970s.  This paper reviews the effect of terrain properties on locomotion, the development of terrain factors, and provides scientific improvements based on the parallel studies of vehicular trafficability at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL).

Author Biography

Adam W Potter, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM)

Adam Potter is a Research Physiologist and Deputy Chief of the Biophysics and Biomedical Modeling Division at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). Mr. Potter served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, participating in real-world operations in Kosovo, Iraq, and Liberia. Prior to working at USARIEM, he performed numerous in-patient clinical research trials. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cambridge College, a Masters of Business Administration and Master of Science in Sports and Health Sciences from American Military University.  Mr. Potter's current research interests include: thermo-physiology and thermoregulation modeling; estimating metabolic cost over complex terrain; exercise dosimetry for early detection of overuse injuries; and biophysics and clothing impacts on human performance.

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Published

2015-10-27

How to Cite

Richmond, P. W., Potter, A. W., & Santee, W. R. (2015). Terrain Factors for Predicting Walking and Load Carriage Energy Costs: Review and Refinement. Journal of Sport and Human Performance, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.12922/jshp.v3i3.67

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Section

Original Research Articles