Investigating the Effect of a Selected Exercise Training Course on the Motion Sickness in Pilots and Flight Crew Members of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Motion sickness is a natural and temporary response to unfamiliar motor stimuli which reduces performance in complex tasks that require constant attention. The aim of this research was to study the effect of a special exercise training period on motion sickness in the pilots and flight crews of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In this study, 20 pilot students of Shahid Sattari Army Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran with an average (age of 21.10±1.31 years, weight of 70.27±8.23 kg, height of 173.32±5.77 cm) participated voluntarily. After completing the motion sickness questionnaire and based on the average age and scores of the rain seat test, they were divided into two equal training and control groups (n=10). The training group performed exercise training for four weeks (four sessions per week). The post-test was done after 72 hours from the last training session. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 software in two descriptive and inferential sections at a significant level (P<0.05).

After four weeks of exercise intervention, the intragroup results showed a significant increase in the motion sickness tolerance variable only in the training group (P=0.001). Also, the intergroup results showed a significant difference between both training and control groups in the post-test (P=0.037).

According to the results, the special exercise training can cause a significant increase in motion sickness tolerance in pilots; by stimulating the visual-vestibular and vestibular systems. Therefore, based on these findings, it is recommended that the pilots who experience symptoms of motion sickness while flying, help to improve the current conditions by performing the suggested exercise interventions.