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Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine changes in body composition, energy metabolites and electrolytes during a 10-day winter survival training period. Two groups of male soldiers were examined: the REC group (n = 26; age 19.7 ± 1.2 years; BMI 23.9 ± 2.7) had recovery period between days 6 and 8 in the survival training, whereas the EXC group (n = 42; age 19.6 ± 0.8 years; BMI 23.1 ± 2.8) did not. The following data were collected: body composition (bioimpedance), energy balance (food diaries, heart rate variability measurements), and biomarkers (blood samples). In survival training, estimated energy balance was highly negative: −4,323 ± 1,515 kcal/d (EXC) and −4,635 ± 1,742 kcal/d (REC). Between days 1 and 10, body mass decreased by 3.9% (EXC) and 3.0% (REC). On day 6, free fatty acid and urea levels increased, whereas leptin, glucose and potassium decreased in all. Recovery period temporarily reversed some of the changes (body mass, leptin, free fatty acids, and urea) toward baseline levels. Survival training caused a severe energy deficit and reductions in body mass. The early stage of military survival training seems to alter energy, hormonal and fluid metabolism, but these effects disappear after an active recovery period.
Highlights
In military survival training, soldiers are exposed to multiple physiological, psychological and environmental stressors for several days
In a physiological point of view, military survival training is associated with high-energy expenditure, restricted energy intake and limited sleep, and can cause remarkable changes in body composition, energy metabolism, hydration status and endocrinological stress function
The main findings of this study were (a) winter survival training caused severe energy deficit, which contributed to decreases in body mass and body fat%, serum leptin, glucose and potassium concentration, and increases in free fatty acids and urea; (b) a 2day recovery period during survival training temporarily reversed some of the changes toward baseline levels, but body mass, body fat% and leptin did not fully recover
Summary
Soldiers are exposed to multiple physiological, psychological and environmental stressors for several days. In a physiological point of view, military survival training is associated with high-energy expenditure, restricted energy intake and limited sleep, and can cause remarkable changes in body composition, energy metabolism, hydration status and endocrinological stress function. Many studies have observed a decline in physical performance during survival training (Nindl et al, 2007; Margolis et al, 2014; Hamarsland et al, 2018; Rózanski et al, 2020). Military survival training has been found to disturb hormonal regulation (Lieberman et al, 2016; Szivak et al, 2018). Leptin is an adipose-derived hormone, which regulates appetite and
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