Physical fitness, hormonal, and immunological responses during prolonged military field training

Physical fitness is crucial to warfighters’ performance in the battlefield. Previous studies have shown negative changes in their hormonal and neuromuscular responses induced by military field training (MFT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in hormonal and immunological values and body composition during a prolonged MFT and to find out how warfighters’ physical condition influences these changes. Conscripts (n = 49, age 20 ± 1 years, height 179 ± 9 cm, body mass 73.8 ± 7.8 kg, fat 12.6 ± 3.7% and BMI 23 kg/m²) were measured before, during, after MFT, and after a 4‐day recovery period. Serum insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) concentrations, creatine kinase (CK) activity and leptin concentration were analyzed as well as body composition throughout MFT. Neuromuscular performance was assessed via lower and upper body muscle endurance at the beginning of the study. During MFT, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in body mass (2.3%), fat mass (7.7%) and in muscle mass (2.2%), but all of these values recovered to PRE‐levels after the recovery period. Serum IGF‐1 (22%) and leptin decreased (66%) while CK increased (88%) significantly (P < 0.05) during MFT but recovered at the end of MFT. Upper body dynamic and trunk isometric muscular endurance had a positive correlation (r = 0.37. P < 0.05) with the change in IGF‐1 during MFT and a negative correlation with the changes in CK (−0.34, P < 0.05). The results show that there were negative changes in conscript's body composition and hormonal and immunological values during the prolonged MFT. These changes suggest that the physiological stress was high during MFT. High levels of upper body and trunk muscular strength were negatively correlated with warfighters’ physiological effects and should therefore be developed prior to actual deployment to reduce the physical decline experienced during prolonged MFTs.