EFFECT OF 13 WEEKS OF MILITARY EXERCISE TRAINING ON THE BODY COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF ESPCEX STUDENTS

Introduction: Armies from all over the world acknowledge the importance of good physical fitness for the performance of military duties. The Military Exercise Training (MET) attempts to provide assistance to this search for better physical fitness and performance. Objective: To verify the effect on the body composition and physical performance of the students at EsPCEx (Military Academy Preparatory School) after 13 weeks of MET. Methods: The sample was composed of 287 male students from the EsPCEx, whose average age was 18.33 +/- 1.26. Such students accomplished a boarding school routine, having defined schedules, meals and activities from which they were only released during the weekends. The MET was accomplished five days a week and it comprised both aerobic and resistance training. Measurement of body mass, height, skinfold (triceps, abdominal and suprailiac) was accomplished during pre and post training periods, and the following tests were performed: 12-minutes-run, oblique sit up, arm push up and pull up. Fat percentage, fat-free body mass and fat body mass were calculated using the anthropometric data based on the Guedes 3 skinfold protocol. Results: Significant reduction in fat body mass, fat percentage and in triceptal and abdominal skinfold, as well as increase in suprailiac skinfold and fat-free body mass was observed when anthropometric and body composition data were compared, during the initial and the final periods of training. Significant improvement also occurred in all performed physical tests, in which better performance was achieved. Conclusion: The acquired data suggest that performance of MET 5 days a week brought significantly improved body composition as well as physical performance.