Ruck Training for Women, Research and Studies for Female Ruckers, Tabbers and Military Personnel
- Alastair Hunt
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Most of the research on rucking - loaded marches - tabbing (in the UK) is focused on male, not female, study participants. In this article we compile some of the research specifically focused on women. Click on the links to dig deeper.
Scroll to bottom of page to enjoy other resources that will support your training journey.
2026
Elizabeth M Lavoie, Prasiddhi J Patel, Jocelyn J Stooks, David Hostler, Riana R Pryor, Strength, But Not Power, is Reduced in Females But Not Males Following a Simulated Ruck March, Military Medicine, 2026;, usag232, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usag232
2025
Schram B, Rosseau J, Canetti EFD, Orr R. Sex Differences in the Metabolic Cost of a Military Load Carriage Task: A Field Based Study. Sports (Basel). 2025 Dec 9;13(12):442. doi: 10.3390/sports13120442. PMID: 41441426; PMCID: PMC12736546.
Willy RW, Simon JE, Hanser B, Plemmons M, Christensen K, Klawitter L, Doutt A, Ruby BC. Females Exhibit Greater Peak and Cumulative Patellofemoral Joint Stress With Moderate and Heavy Load Carriage Compared With Males. Eur J Sport Sci. 2025 Oct;25(10):e70046. doi: 10.1002/ejsc.70046. PMID: 40906825; PMCID: PMC12410583.
2024
Freisinger GM, Bode VG, Elkin-Frankston S. Effect of Fatigue on Movement Patterns During a Loaded Ruck March. Mil Med. 2024 Jan 23;189(1-2):e15-e20. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usad086. PMID: 37083060.
Wheelock CE, Stooks J, Schwob J, Hostler D. Continuous rise in oxygen consumption during prolonged military loaded march in the heat with and without fluid replacement: a pilot study. BMJ Mil Health. 2024 Feb 19:e002573. doi: 10.1136/military-2023-002573. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38373790.
Hudson S, Barwood M, Low C, Wills J, Fish M. A systematic review of the physiological and biomechanical differences between males and females in response to load carriage during walking activities. Appl Ergon. 2024 Jan;114:104123. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.104123. Epub 2023 Aug 23. PMID: 37625283.
2023
Armstrong NC, Smith SJR, Risius D, Doyle D, Wardle SL, Greeves JP, House JR, Tipton M, Lomax M. Cognitive performance of military men and women during prolonged load carriage. BMJ Mil Health. 2023 Feb;169(1):37-45. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-002000. Epub 2022 Apr 7. PMID: 35393357; PMCID: PMC9887367.
Gill N, Roberts A, O'Leary TJ, Liu A, Hollands K, Walker D, Greeves JP, Jones R. Role of sex and stature on the biomechanics of normal and loaded walking: implications for injury risk in the military. BMJ Mil Health. 2023 Feb;169(1):89-93. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001645. Epub 2021 Jan 21. PMID: 33478981.
2022
Wendland R, Bossi L, Oliver M. Biomechanical and physiological effects of female soldier load carriage: A scoping review. Appl Ergon. 2022 Nov;105:103837. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103837. Epub 2022 Jul 5. PMID: 35803166.
Armstrong NC, Smith SJR, Risius D, Doyle D, Wardle SL, Greeves JP, House JR, Tipton M, Lomax M. Cognitive performance of military men and women during prolonged load carriage. BMJ Mil Health. 2023 Feb;169(1):37-45. doi: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-002000. Epub 2022 Apr 7. PMID: 35393357; PMCID: PMC9887367.
2020
Orr, R. M., Pope, R., O'Shea, S., & Knapik, J. (2020). Load Carriage for Female Military Personnel. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 42(4), 50-58. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000514
Godhe M, Helge T, Mattsson CM, Ekblom Ö, Ekblom B. Physiological Factors of Importance for Load Carriage in Experienced and Inexperienced Men and Women. Mil Med. 2020 Aug 14;185(7-8):e1168-e1174. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usaa050. PMID: 32248224.
Shuhada NA, Ong MLY, Chen CK. The Effects of Walking with a Load in the Heat on Physiological Responses among Military Reserve Female Cadets. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020 Aug 1;13(2):900-911. doi: 10.70252/VZMI4996. PMID: 32922628; PMCID: PMC7449320.
Wills JA, Drain J, Fuller JT, Doyle TLA. Physiological Responses of Female Load Carriage Improves after 10 Weeks of Training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Aug;52(8):1763-1769. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002321. PMID: 32102055.
Schram B, Canetti E, Orr R, Pope R. Injury rates in female and male military personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Womens Health. 2022 Jul 25;22(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s12905-022-01899-4. PMID: 35879707; PMCID: PMC9310503.
Gerhart HD, Pressl R, Storti KL, Bayles MP, Seo Y. The effects of a loaded rucksack and weighted vest on metabolic cost and stride frequency in female adults. Ergonomics. 2020 Feb;63(2):145-151. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2019.1710266. Epub 2020 Jan 7. PMID: 31909695.
2019
Knapik, J. J., O'Shea, S., Pope, R. P., & Orr, R. M. (2019). Load Carriage for Female Military Personnel. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 42(4), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000514
2018
O'Leary TJ, Saunders SC, McGuire SJ, Izard RM. Sex differences in neuromuscular fatigability in response to load carriage in the field in British Army recruits. J Sci Med Sport. 2018 Jun;21(6):591-595. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2017.10.018. Epub 2017 Oct 23. PMID: 29100827
Older
Orr RM, Pope R. Gender differences in load carriage injuries of Australian army soldiers. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016 Nov 25;17(1):488. doi: 10.1186/s12891-016-1340-0. PMID: 27884191; PMCID: PMC5123228.
Tanja C. Roy, Sara R. Piva, Bryan C. Christiansen, Jonathan D. Lesher, Peter M. Doyle, Rachel M. Waring, James J. Irrgang, Charity G. Moore, Teresa L. Brininger, Marilyn A. Sharp, Heavy Loads and Lifting are Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Deployed Female Soldiers, Military Medicine, Volume 181, Issue 11-12, November-December 2016, Pages e1476–e1483, https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00435
Ling W, Houston V, Tsai YS, Chui K, Kirk J. Women's load carriage performance using modular lightweight load-carrying equipment. Mil Med. 2004 Nov;169(11):914-9. doi: 10.7205/milmed.169.11.914. PMID: 15605942.
If you are training for the PARAS'10, a Norwegian Foot March, or just to get fast and fit, our self-paced online course"Built to Ruck The Science and Practice of Rucking" covers everything the research tells us about load carriage training, pacing, progression, heat management, hydration, fueling and more. With a course unit dedicated to female ruckers, it is built for those at every level of experience, and draws directly on the peer-reviewed military and sports science research.
If you have more resources to share, please send us the links for inclusion.
And, wherever you are, train safe - enjoy the process!
Alastair
For a complete list of studies on loaded marches, see here.
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