Background

The Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP) is a one-stop centre established to develop and realise the full combat potential of every soldier. Leveraging on science and technology, the CESP brings together subject-matter experts from sport science, nutrition, psychology, physiotherapy and human factors engineering to strengthen our soldiers' fitness, mental resilience, injury management and rehabilitation, as well as integration of soldier-level systems. It brings together soldier performance-related units (i.e., the Army Fitness Centre, the Soldier Performance Centre and the Soldier Systems Integration Lab) to reap synergies in cross-domain integration.

ESP comprises four key performance areas (i) fitness and nutrition; (ii) resilience; (iii) injury management; and (iv) soldier systems.

Fitness and Nutrition - "Train Smarter, Eat Better, Be Physically Stronger"

Vocation-Specific Training. The CESP will develop customised training programmes to match the unique physical demands of each vocation and the individual's abilities, hence enabling soldiers to train more efficiently to complete their combat tasks. New fitness training methodologies such as the High Intensity Interval Training will also be introduced to allow training to be more varied and interesting.

Inclusive Fitness Programme. In an effort to ensure that all soldiers are engaged in healthy lifestyle despite their PES status or fitness level, CESP will also introduce more inclusive fitness programmes and packages for Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) and non-combat full-time national servicemen to strengthen their fitness, such as the self-regulated fitness training programme for NSmen. This will maximise participation and promote a strong fitness culture for our soldiers.

Fitness-Nutrition Balance. A revised Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) will be introduced to better integrate fitness training with nutrition intake to enhance performance and recovery. The revised RDA is designed for soldiers to consume healthy snacks in between meals and before training exercises to meet the short-term caloric demands of soldiers undergoing physical training, yet ensuring sufficient nutrition intake for a healthy lifestyle. Nutritious snacks which are correctly timed before training exercises will also aid in soldiers' recovery after physical exercises. Examples of snacks that are nutritious and will provide energy include oat bars and fruits like bananas and apples.

Resilience - "Mentally Stronger, Overcome Adversity"

The CESP will drive the Army's effort to nurture soldiers that are better able to withstand and overcome combat stress under demanding situations, by structuring the curriculum to include soldier resilience programmes. During Basic Military Training (BMT), soldiers will be taught resilience-building concepts and be equipped with the knowledge and skills on managing stress and anxiety. Post-BMT, soldiers will progressively be exposed to stressors typically encountered in combat operational settings, and will also be put through unexpected and unique tactical situations, in order to increase their situational awareness and improve their adaptive skills in training and operations. This allows them to recover from minor setbacks to continue with and accomplish their tasks.

Injury Management - "Recover Faster, Reduce Downtime"

Fitness programmes will focus on injury prevention and recovery with the introduction of pre-habilitation and rehabilitation programmes.

Pre-habilitation. Pre-habilitation programmes aim to reduce risk of injuries suffered during training by (i) educating all soldiers on the common injuries during activities and developing specific strength and conditioning exercises specific to these activities; and (ii) identifying soldiers with pre-existing injuries and developing specific strength and conditioning exercises to prevent the recurrence of these injuries before the soldiers are exposed to strenuous activities that can aggravate the injuries. One example is that soldiers are taught skills on how to land or fall safely during the standard obstacle course to prevent injuries. The early discovery and prevention of injuries is achieved through the monitoring and analysis of musculoskeletal injury trends and identification of weak joints. With the expertise from CESP's physiotherapists and sport scientists, strength and conditioning exercises will be introduced into the fitness curriculum to reduce risk of injury to soldiers by strengthening the muscles required to complete vocation-specific tasks.

Rehabilitation. Currently, soldiers have access to rehabilitation care and treatment located at the SAF's physiotherapy centres. However, this higher-level appointment-based specialised care means that soldiers may not get immediate access to treatment and may hinder the speed of recovery and the progress of their training. To ensure the most efficient recovery for soldiers and to prevent the deterioration of their physical condition, the CESP will work with ground units at SAF camps to introduce rehabilitation programmes that enable more injured soldiers to recover faster with reduced downtime, hence allowing them to resume their training in a better physical condition. Unit commanders will also be equipped with basic rehabilitation skills.

Soldier Systems - "Better Equipped, Improving Performance"

The CESP will apply Human Factors Engineering (HFE) into soldier systems to improve the ergonomic design of equipment, thus enhancing our soldiers' combat effectiveness and performance.

Anthropometric Data Collection. Human factor engineers will collect and analyse data from the SAF population to design and improve soldier systems and equipment such as the next generation load bearing system that fits SAF soldiers between the fifth and ninety-fifth percentile. Well-fitted and well-designed equipment that distributes weight optimally across the body will improve the mobility of soldiers and allow them to perform their combat tasks more effectively.

Load Effects Assessment Programme (LEAP). The LEAP comprehensively evaluates the impact that equipment has on a soldier through the analysis and sense-making of objective data using an instrumented obstacle course. This is executed by human factor engineers who study the movement of soldiers wearing the equipment when they go through the instrumented obstacle course. By studying the performance of soldiers when they manoeuvre the instrumented obstacle course, the engineers are able to assess how the equipment affects the mobility and combat effectiveness of the soldiers. The LEAP also includes thermal scanning technology which allows the engineers to determine how much heat is trapped in the soldiers' equipment when going through the obstacle course. The engineers will then analyse the data collected by the LEAP to improve the design of soldier systems to allow soldiers to perform their combat tasks effectively, hence enhancing their performance.