The application of strength and conditioning research to physically demanding occupations is essential to ensure that military personnel are prepared and able to perform in the most effective and efficient manner possible. UK Defence physical training staff and rehabilitation practitioners are responsible for: (1) reducing musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI), (2) maximising soldier preparedness to meet the operational demands of combat through specific physical training, and (3) designing and managing exercise programmes to optimally accelerate the full deployability of army personnel following MSKI.

All components of fitness are required to successfully perform physically arduous military-specific tasks. However, the ability to produce high forces (maximum strength) provides the foundation for a soldier’s ability to execute explosive movements necessary during close-quarter combat, jumping/landing, multidirectional speed and agility, sprinting, and throwing. Therefore, improving or maintaining both maximal strength and the ability to apply force rapidly is essential to optimise the number of military personnel fit for operational duty. To meet this requirement, validated assessments of physical performance, including force production characteristics, are needed. Adopting elements of the Soldier Conditioning Review (SCR) and army Role Fitness Test (RFT) while also integrating portable force plate technology into clinical assessments is recommended. Access to normative strength data (derived from the SCR and portable force plate technology) could provide important metrics to better understand the functional requirements of army personnel based on age, sex, and job role.

The ‘Strength Profiling of Army Personnel’ (STRONG) study represents the first combined research effort between the British Army and Defence Medical Services (DMS) to meet these specific challenges. The STRONG study spans three DMS research theme working groups and is subsequently considered a key DMS-identified research priority. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the evolution of the STRONG study research programme.