Physical Adaptation During An Expedition In Antarctica

Abstract

PURPOSE: Antarctica is a non-human land that challenges the human body whenever someone ventures there and requires important physical and nutritional preparation. METHODS: A group of 6 explorers (3 women and 3 men; 25 ± 4 years old) participated in an expedition in complete autonomy for 30 days in Antarctica. The objective was to observe the physiological adaptation of the explorers in this extreme environment following physical preparation, high caloric nutritional input, and mineral supplements. Anthropometric measures (DXA), and a specific aerobic power assessment, a maximal aerobic test, a grip strength and muscle strength endurance tests (suspension bar) were conducted before and after the expedition in the laboratory at UQAM. An analysis by paired samples t-test was used to compare pre- and post expedition. RESULTS: Pre- VS post- expedition measurements were significantly differentPre- VS post- expedition measurements were significantly different (p<0.05) for %body fat (17.1 ± 7.9 VS 15.0 ± 10,5 and 25.7 ± 6.7 VS 24.6 ± 6.3 % fat for men and women, respectively; t=3,9), but not for lean mass (62.9 ± 4.8 VS 63.3 ± 4.6 and 45.4 ± 4.4 VS 53.3 ± 4.1 kg; t=-0.3 for men and women, respectively). Pre-post expedition was significantly different for the specific VO2peak test (40 ± 3 VS 51 ± 9 ml/kg/min for men and 38 ± 2 VS 42 ± 4 ml/kg/min; t=-2.89 for women), but not for the VO2peak of the aerobic maximal test (43 ± 5 VS 47 ± 9 ml/kg/min for men and 42 ± 5 VS 44 ± 5 ml/kg/min; t=-1.3 for women). The grip strength and suspension bar tests did not change significantly and for the grip strength was 126 ± 8 VS 115 ± 14 kg for men and 78 ± 12 VS 75 ± 17 kg for women; t=0.8 while for the suspension bar test was 73 ± 10 VS 61 ± 20 seconds for men and 37 ± 17 VS 55 ± 47 seconds for women; t=-0.8, before and after the expedition, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition strategy and the physical preparation strategy adopted appear to be key aspects during an expedition in an extreme environment to countermeasure weight lost and physical ability decay, and permit to improve the specific aerobic capacity by the high volume intensity of the expedition without undernourishment.