Mental strain: Magnesium increase along with stress-markers is relative

Abstract

Abstract. 17 male officer trainees (between 20 and 24 years of age) of the Theresan Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt (Austria) have been subjected to an interactive computer operated wargame. Before and after the test, ionized Mg, ionized pCO 2 , and RRsys were determined from capillary blood. Within 1 hour of mental strain, Mg and pCO 2 decreased significantly (Mg due to arbitrary choice), hence Mg decrease is obviously coupled to increased metabolic turnover. Linear correlations of Mg and its delta values show that due to mental strain, metabolism increases significantly along with Mg loss from tissues. The concomitant Mg increase along with changing stress markers like pCO 2 and RRsys seems to be not in accordance with the measured Mg loss. The discrepancy is cleared by showing that Mg increase is relative – the highest Mg values due to highest strain are seen in those subjects with the relative smallest Mg loss. Thus, the velocity of Mg loss depends upon mental strain (and up to a degree upon Mg tissue reserves) in a similar way as it does during physical load.