Allmenn verneplikt : militært multifaktorielt stress - er det kjønnsforskjeller?

During military operations the soldiers are exposed to various types of extreme strain, often termed “multiple stressors”. Some examples of such stressors are strenuous physical activity, mental strain, sleep deprivation, energy depletion and extreme environments. Strenuous military activity leads to major alterations in the body, and the stressors affect each soldier individually. One of the tasks in a FFI project on evaluation of universal conscription is to identify physiological alterations in women after extreme strain, and to provide new knowledge regarding the physical and mental strain that both genders are exposed to during operations and missions. For optimal performance during military operations the soldiers are dependent on good physical and mental working capacity. Physical and mental capacity has significant impact on the soldiers’ operational capability, and consequently the Armed Forces’ performance. Maximal strength, local muscular endurance and aerobic endurance are essential for military physical performance. Since both the national and international share of women in the Armed Forces has been low, the previous studies on changes in the body after extreme military strain are mainly performed on male soldiers. As a result of the introduction of universal conscription for both genders, there is an increase in the number of women in the Norwegian Armed Forces. Norway is the first NATO country to do so. The aim of this report is, through a literature study, to get a better overview of the physical consequences for women who are exposed to multiple stressors, and to investigate the possible gender differences under such conditions. Both international and national studies show that women are on average lower, weight less, have lower muscle mass and higher fat mass compared to men. The last-mentioned can be positive for military tasks with long duration. Furthermore, women have lower maximal muscle strength, especially in the upper body, and they have less endurance than men. The gender difference in physical capacity is usually largest for maximal strength and lower with regard to endurance. However, studies have shown that women can have better endurance for example in ultrarunning. The main reason for the difference in maximal strength is the gender difference in muscle mass. There are gender differences in the thermoregulation, where especially women between 15 and 40 years can have higher cold sensitivity than men. Women are also more exposed to iron deficiency anemia and muscle and skeletal injuries. For example, when under the same strain as their male colleagues, women are 1.2 to 10 times more often exposed to strain injuries, and the prevalence of stress fractures is 1.5 to 9.5 times more common. Better knowledge about the consequences of extreme military strain in women is necessary. It will also be important to investigate if there are any gender differences under such conditions. This can prevent soldier injuries and support any future initiative for better securing good health and optimal operative performance. It is recommended that future studies include female soldiers. FFI projects, as well as national and internationals cooperation, will take this into account.