Studies on Rucking, Tabbing and Loaded Marches. From Singapore and Around the World.
- Alastair Hunt
- Apr 13, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: May 4
If you are interested in rucking, aka tabbing (in British English, although this is commonly rucking at speed), it can be worthwhile to read some the studies behind the activity. Not surprisingly, much of the the data comes from various military studies. Be sure to read the papers, especially the detailed Discussion sections, rather than simply the (limited) Conclusions, as shared below.
If you are interested in other rucking related articles: how to start, the gear required, hydration etc, please read here.
Please note, these resources are shared for information purposes only. Always exercise within your limits. If you are considering changing your diet, exercise or lifestyle practices, plans with your primary medical practitioner before making any changes; especially if you are under treatment.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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2025
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Spiezia F, Oliva F, Maffulli N. Loaded marches: the military safe and effective tool to combat readiness. Br Med Bull. 2025 Apr 4;154(1):ldaf005. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldaf005. PMID: 40442982.
Cáceres-Diego B, Marín-Pagán C, Martínez de Baños P, Alcaraz PE. Effects of a 30 K Military Loaded Carriage on the Neuromuscular System in Spanish Army Marines. Sports (Basel). 2025 Mar 5;13(3):76. doi: 10.3390/sports13030076. PMID: 40137800; PMCID: PMC11945795.
Orr R, Knapik JJ, Rodgers R, Cassidy R, Rousseau J, Van Tiggelen D, Pope R. Rehabilitating Soldiers for Load Carriage Tasks: An International Perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Aug 17;22(8):1286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22081286. PMID: 40869871; PMCID: PMC12386063.
Cáceres-Diego B, Alcaraz PE, Marín-Pagán C. Neuromuscular Responses to 5 K Time Trial Load Carried by Spanish Army Marines. Sports (Basel). 2025 Apr 21;13(4):129. doi: 10.3390/sports13040129. PMID: 40278755; PMCID: PMC12031018.
2024
Baur DA, Baur KG, Buchanan BK, Ortiz MJ, Doody AG. Load carriage physiology in normoxia and hypoxia. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2024 Mar;124(3):925-943. doi: 10.1007/s00421-023-05320-2. Epub 2023 Sep 23. PMID: 37740748; PMCID: PMC10879375.
Looney DP, Lavoie EM, Notley SR, Holden LD, Arcidiacono DM, Potter AW, Silder A, Pasiakos SM, Arellano CJ, Karis AJ, Pryor JL, Santee WR, Friedl KE. Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024 Jun 1;56(6):1177-1185. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003400. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38291646.
Nevin J, Bowling K, Cousens C, Bambrough R, Ramsdale M. The Relationship Between Isometric Midthigh Pull Force-Time Characteristics and 2-km Load-Carrying Performance in Trained British Army Soldiers. J Strength Cond Res. 2024 Feb 1;38(2):360-366. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004633. PMID: 38258832.
Sax van der Weyden M, Merrigan JJ, Martin J. Long Duration Load Carriage Performance Is Associated With Army Combat Fitness Test Scores and Fat-Free Mass. J Strength Cond Res. 2024 Nov 1;38(11):1959-1966. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004903. Epub 2024 Sep 17. PMID: 39454191.
Bloch AE, Steckenrider JJ, Zifchock RA, 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.
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.
Withrow KL, Rubin DA, Dawes JJ, Orr RM, Lynn SK, Lockie RG. Army Combat Fitness Test Relationships to Tactical Foot March Performance in Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadets. Biology (Basel). 2023 Mar 21;12(3):477. doi: 10.3390/biology12030477. PMID: 36979168; PMCID: PMC10045466.
Regina Oeschger, Lilian Roos, Thomas Wyss, Mark J Buller, Bertil J Veenstra, Rahel Gilgen-Ammann, Influence of Soldiers’ Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Physiological Responses and Dropouts During a Loaded Long-distance March, Military Medicine, Volume 188, Issue 7-8, July/August 2023, Pages e1903–e1909, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab540
Arcidiacono DM, Lavoie EM, Potter AW, Vangala SV, Holden LD, Soucy HY, Karis AJ, Friedl KE, Santee WR, Looney DP. Peak performance and cardiometabolic responses of modern US army soldiers during heavy, fatiguing vest-borne load carriage. Appl Ergon. 2023 May;109:103985. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103985. Epub 2023 Feb 8. PMID: 36764233.
2022
Poon BH, Prakaash S, Teo YS, Fan PW, Wei Lee JK. Thermal strain and fluid balance during a 72-km military route march in a field setting. Singapore Med J. 2022 Sep;63(9):497-502. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2021053. Epub 2021 Apr 19. PMID: 34005849; PMCID: PMC9678143
Looney DP, Lavoie EM, Vangala SV, Holden LD, Figueiredo PS, Friedl KE, Frykman PN, Hancock JW, Montain SJ, Pryor JL, Santee WR, Potter AW. Modeling the Metabolic Costs of Heavy Military Backpacking. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022 Apr 1;54(4):646-654. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002833. PMID: 34856578; PMCID: PMC8919998.
Faghy MA, Shei RJ, Armstrong NCD, White M, Lomax M. Physiological impact of load carriage exercise: Current understanding and future research directions. Physiol Rep. 2022 Nov;10(21):e15502. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15502. PMID: 36324291; PMCID: PMC9630762.
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.
Vaara JP, Groeller H, Drain J, Kyröläinen H, Pihlainen K, Ojanen T, Connaboy C, Santtila M, Agostinelli P, Nindl BC. Physical training considerations for optimizing performance in essential military tasks. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Jan;22(1):43-57. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1930193. Epub 2021 Jun 3. PMID: 34006204.
2021
Orr R, Pope R, Lopes TJA, Leyk D, Blacker S, Bustillo-Aguirre BS, Knapik JJ. Soldier Load Carriage, Injuries, Rehabilitation and Physical Conditioning: An International Approach. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 11;18(8):4010. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084010. PMID: 33920426; PMCID: PMC8069713.
Walsh GS, Low DC. (2021). Military load carriage effects on the gait of military personnel: A systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 93, 103376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103376
Vaara, J. P., Groeller, H., Drain, J., Kyröläinen, H., Pihlainen, K., Ojanen, T., … Nindl, B. C. (2021). Physical training considerations for optimizing performance in essential military tasks. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1930193
Dijksma, Iris MSc1,2; Sharma, Jagannath PhD3,4,5; Gabbett, Tim J. PhD6,7. Training Load Monitoring and Injury Prevention in Military Recruits: Considerations for Preparing Soldiers to Fight Sustainably. Strength and Conditioning Journal 43(2):p 23-30, April 2021. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000632
Looney DP, Doughty EM, Figueiredo PS, Vangala SV, Pryor JL, Santee WR, McClung HL, Potter AW. Effects of modern military backpack loads on walking speed and cardiometabolic responses of US Army Soldiers. Appl Ergon. 2021 Jul;94:103395. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103395. Epub 2021 Feb 27. PMID: 33652153.
Walsh GS, Low DC. Military load carriage effects on the gait of military personnel: A systematic review. Appl Ergon. 2021 May;93:103376. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103376. Epub 2021 Feb 1. PMID: 33540208.
Harrison D, Sarkar M, Saward C, Sunderland C. Exploration of Psychological Resilience during a 25-Day Endurance Challenge in an Extreme Environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 2;18(23):12707. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182312707. PMID: 34886438; PMCID: PMC8656636.
2020
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.
Ohlsson C, Gidestrand E, Bellman J, Larsson C, Palsdottir V, Hägg D, Jansson PA, Jansson JO. Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects - A proof of concept randomized clinical trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Apr 30;22:100338. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100338. PMID: 32510046; PMCID: PMC7264953.
Earl-Boehm JE, Poel DN, Zalewski K, Ebersole KT. The effects of military style ruck marching on lower extremity loading and muscular, physiological and perceived exertion in ROTC cadets. Ergonomics. 2020 May;63(5):629-638. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2020.1745900. Epub 2020 Apr 2. PMID: 32191155.
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.
2019
Nolte HW, Nolte K, Hew-Butler T. Ad libitum water consumption prevents exercise-associated hyponatremia and protects against dehydration in soldiers performing a 40-km route-march. Mil Med Res. 2019 Jan 25;6(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s40779-019-0192-y. PMID: 30678725; PMCID: PMC6346586.
Coakley SL, Myers SD, Walker EF, Hale B, Jackson S, Greeves JP, Roberts R, Blacker SD. 1.5mile run time and body mass predict 8mile loaded march performance, irrespective of sex. J Sci Med Sport. 2019 Feb;22(2):217-221. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.07.007. Epub 2018 Jul 20. PMID: 30249459.
Wills JA, Saxby DJ, Glassbrook DJ, Doyle TLA. Load-Carriage Conditioning Elicits Task-Specific Physical and Psychophysical Improvements in Males. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Sep;33(9):2338-2343. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003243. PMID: 31269002.
David Boffey, Idan Harat, Yftach Gepner, Cheyanne L Frosti, Shany Funk, Jay R Hoffman, The Physiology and Biomechanics of Load Carriage Performance, Military Medicine, Volume 184, Issue 1-2, January-February 2019, Pages e83–e90, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy218
Faghy MA, Brown PI. Functional training of the inspiratory muscles improves load carriage performance. Ergonomics. 2019 Nov;62(11):1439-1449. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2019.1652352. Epub 2019 Aug 16. PMID: 31389759.
Wills JA, Saxby DJ, Glassbrook DJ, Doyle TLA. Load-Carriage Conditioning Elicits Task-Specific Physical and Psychophysical Improvements in Males. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Sep;33(9):2338-2343. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003243. PMID: 31269002.
Farina EK, Thompson LA, Knapik JJ, Pasiakos SM, McClung JP, Lieberman HR. Physical performance, demographic, psychological, and physiological predictors of success in the U.S. Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection course. Physiol Behav. 2019 Oct 15;210:112647. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112647. Epub 2019 Aug 8. PMID: 31401079.
Thomas R, Schram B, Irving S, Robinson J, Orr R. Associations between Specialist Tactical Response Police Unit Selection Success and Urban Rush, along with 2.4 km and 10 km Loaded Carriage Events. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Sep 23;16(19):3558. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193558. PMID: 31547573; PMCID: PMC6801417.
Willy RW, DeVita P, Meardon SA, Baggaley M, Womble CC, Willson JD. Effects of Load Carriage and Step Length Manipulation on Achilles Tendon and Knee Loads. Mil Med. 2019 Oct 1;184(9-10):e482-e489. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usz031. PMID: 30839070.
2018 and Before
Looney DP, Santee WR, Blanchard LA, Karis AJ, Carter AJ, Potter AW. Cardiorespiratory responses to heavy military load carriage over complex terrain. Appl Ergon. 2018 Nov;73:194-198. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2018.07.010. Epub 2018 Jul 24. PMID: 30098635.
Schram B, Orr R, Pope R. A Profile of Knee Injuries Suffered by Australian Army Reserve Soldiers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Dec 20;16(1):12. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010012. PMID: 30577566; PMCID: PMC6339105.
Chatterjee T, Bhattacharyya D, Pramanik A, Pal M, Majumdar D, Majumdar D. Soldiers' load carriage performance in high mountains: a physiological study. Mil Med Res. 2017 Feb 17;4:6. doi: 10.1186/s40779-017-0113-x. PMID: 28239483; PMCID: PMC5316174.
Faghy MA, Brown PI. Whole-body active warm-up and inspiratory muscle warm-up do not improve running performance when carrying thoracic loads. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017 Aug;42(8):810-815. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2016-0711. Epub 2017 Mar 13. PMID: 28288302.
Kenefick RW, Heavens KR, Luippold AJ, Charkoudian N, Schwartz SA, Cheuvront SN. Effect of Physical Load on Aerobic Exercise Performance during Heat Stress. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 Dec;49(12):2570-2577. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001392. PMID: 28767522.
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.
Hunt AP, Billing DC, Patterson MJ, Caldwell JN. Heat strain during military training activities: The dilemma of balancing force protection and operational capability. Temperature (Austin). 2016 Feb 26;3(2):307-317. doi: 10.1080/23328940.2016.1156801. PMID: 27857960; PMCID: PMC4965006.
Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Orr R, Pope R. Load Carriage-Related Paresthesias: Part 1: Rucksack Palsy and Digitalgia Paresthetica. J Spec Oper Med. 2016 Winter;16(4):74-79. doi: 10.55460/7HEK-VMKV. PMID: 28088822.
Orr RM, Pope R, Johnston V, Coyle J. Soldier occupational load carriage: a narrative review of associated injuries. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2014;21(4):388-96. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2013.833944. Epub 2013 Sep 13. PMID: 24028439.
Orr RM, Pope RR. Load Carriage: An Integrated Risk Management Approach. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Nov;29 Suppl 11:S119-28. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001029. PMID: 26506174.
Joseph A, Wiley A, Orr R, Schram B, Dawes JJ. The Impact of Load Carriage on Measures of Power and Agility in Tactical Occupations: A Critical Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jan 7;15(1):88. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15010088. PMID: 29316674; PMCID: PMC5800187.
Orr RM, Coyle J, Johnston V, Pope R. Self-reported load carriage injuries of military soldiers. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2017 Jun;24(2):189-197. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2015.1132731. Epub 2016 Jan 13. PMID: 26760719.
Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Harman E. Soldier load carriage: historical, physiological, biomechanical, and medical aspects. Mil Med. 2004 Jan;169(1):45-56. doi: 10.7205/milmed.169.1.45. PMID: 14964502.
Other
Undated document "Load Carriage in Military Operations, A Review of Physiological, Historical, Biomechanical and Medical Aspects" Joseph Knapick SCD and Katy Reynolds MD (Note: .pdf 78 pages)
US Army "Foot Marches" documentation, April 2022 (Note: pdf. 160 pages)
Training protocols: Julia Coyle , Rodney Pope and Robin M Orr In Review Article Issue Volume 18 No. 3 Doi No https://doi-ds.org/doilink/11.2021-49313873/JMVH Vol 18 No 3 Load carriage: minimising soldier injuries through physical conditioning – a narrative review
Mala, J., Szivak, T.K., Flanagan, S.D., Comstock, B.A., Laferrier, J.Z., Maresh, C.M., & Kraemer, W.J. (2015). The role of strength and power during performance of high intensity military tasks under heavy load carriage. U.S. Army Medical Department journal, 3-11 .
Knapik JJ. Injuries and injury prevention during foot marching. J Spec Oper Med. 2014 Winter;14(4):131-135. doi: 10.55460/38TR-TEUP. PMID: 25399383.
Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Harman E. Soldier load carriage: historical, physiological, biomechanical, and medical aspects. Mil Med. 2004 Jan;169(1):45-56. doi: 10.7205/milmed.169.1.45. PMID: 14964502.
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