Weight Loss Before Basic Combat Training and Musculoskeletal Injuries Among U.S. Army Trainees: The ARMI Study
Main finding · Any MSKIResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 0.86 95% CI 0.74–0.99Authors' conclusion
Results indicate that losing excess weight before military training may minimize injuries during training and the relatively gradual rate of weight loss in these trainees did not pose a higher risk of injury.
Study context
- Population
- U.S. Army trainees in Basic Combat Training, followed through electronic medical records
- Participants
- 3,168 participants
- Exposure
- Weight loss to enter the Army vs no weight loss
- Lost weightn = 829
- Outcome
- Any and region-specific MSKI during BCT
- Follow-up
- During BCT
Methodological detailsCox regression stratified by sex and COVID-19 pandemic, adjusted for age, height, maximum-ever BMI, race/ethnicity, smoking history, prior physical activity and history of injury
- Cox regression stratified by sex and COVID-19 pandemic
- Adjusted for age, height, maximum-ever BMI, race/ethnicity, smoking history, prior physical activity and history of injury
Main finding
Any MSKI
Hazard ratio
0.86
95% CI 0.74–0.99
Lost weightvs Did not lose weight
HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.74–0.99)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower extremity MSKI during BCT | 0.84 (0.72–0.98) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
Weight loss to enter the Army
- Trainees reporting weight loss to enter the Army
- 829 (26.16%)
- Weight loss, mean (SD)
- 9.06 (8.62) kg
- Most common method: exercise
- 83.72%
Rate of weight loss and any or region-specific musculoskeletal injury (MSKI) · Basic Combat Training (BCT)
- Rate of weight loss, mean (SD)
- 1.27 [1.06] kg/week
- Rate of weight loss was not associated with any or region-specific MSKI
Original publication
Weight Loss Before Basic Combat Training and Musculoskeletal Injuries Among U.S. Army Trainees: The ARMI Study. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 30 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →