The Use of Force Plate Technology to Measure Force Production Characteristics in Military Personnel: A Scoping Review of Methodological Reporting Practices.

Background: Force plates have become one of the most frequently used assessment tools in the field of strength and conditioning research and applied practice. Their use for measuring force production characteristics among military personnel is growing. The aim of this scoping review is to: (1) Descr...

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Publicado en:Sports Medicine - Open Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 1 - 27
Autores principales: Ladlow, Peter, Lunt, Kieran M., Comfort, Paul, O'Sullivan, Oliver, Robles-Palazón, Francisco J, Ripley, Nicholas J., McMahon, John J., Masters, Natalie, Cassidy, Robyn P., De Vecchis, Marina, Bell, Vanessa, Bennett, Alexander N., Coppack, Russell J.
Formato: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature 11/21/2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: The Use of Force Plate Technology to Measure Force Production Characteristics in Military Personnel: A Scoping Review of Methodological Reporting Practices.
      aug:
        au:
          Ladlow, Peter
          Lunt, Kieran M.
          Comfort, Paul
          O'Sullivan, Oliver
          Robles-Palazón, Francisco J
          Ripley, Nicholas J.
          McMahon, John J.
          Masters, Natalie
          Cassidy, Robyn P.
          De Vecchis, Marina
          Bell, Vanessa
          Bennett, Alexander N.
          Coppack, Russell J.
        affil: Academic Department of Military Rehabilitation, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Stanford Hall, Loughborough, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Lower Extremity Physiology
          Ground Reaction Force Evaluation
          Biophysical Instruments
          Military Personnel
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Leg Injuries Risk Factors
          Leg Injuries Rehabilitation
          Risk Assessment
          Human
          Scoping Review
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Medline
          SportDiscus
          CINAHL Database
          Embase
          Scales
          Isometric Contraction
          Thigh Physiology
          Muscle Strength Evaluation
          Jumping Physiology
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Force plates have become one of the most frequently used assessment tools in the field of strength and conditioning research and applied practice. Their use for measuring force production characteristics among military personnel is growing. The aim of this scoping review is to: (1) Describe the current evidence base underpinning the use of force plates to assess maximal and rapid lower-limb force production in military in three priority areas; occupational task performance, injury risk profiling, and rehabilitation, (2) Identify potential trends and/or differences by participants' sex, job role, and/or level of performance in tests, methodologies, and metrics selected, and (3) Consider gaps in the existing evidence base and questions that should be addressed in future research. Main Body: Nine hundred and eighty-five articles were identified across EBSCO and Ovid database platforms. After removing duplicates and applying the eligibility criteria, 40 articles were included in this review. Major differences/inconsistences in the methodological reporting of force plate 'preparation' (e.g., testing surface/flooring conditions, zeroing force plates and weighing participants during trials), 'execution' (e.g., verbal cueing and footwear conditions) and 'analysis' (e.g., software used to analyse force–time data, filters applied, thresholds used, metric selection and reliability testing) were found. The isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) and countermovement jump (CMJ) were the most used isometric and dynamic tests used, respectively. However, military researchers are commonly using no more than two metrics from each of these tests, with an emphasis towards only reporting outcome-based metrics (e.g., jump height) as opposed to movement strategy-based metrics. A more thorough review of the methodological reporting practices of the IMTP revealed most military researchers are using incorrect coaching instructions compared to standardised methodological guidelines or no instructions at all. When different expressions of force or power are reported using the CMJ, greater than half do not identify the phase of the jump it was calculated from. Conclusions: Across military populations, the methodological reporting standards and metrics selected when using force plate technology to inform 'occupational task performance', 'injury profiling' and 'rehabilitation' have been sub-optimal and sometimes incomplete. Force plate technology is currently under exploited when applied to military population research. Key Points: The use of force plate technology to measure maximal and/or rapid force production characteristics in military personnel is growing rapidly. The methodological reporting practices of force plate technology within military research practice is inconsistent and often poorly described. If military nations are to effectively use force plate technology in the future, greater awareness of metric selection and factors that influence the quality/accuracy of data outputs is warranted.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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