Adaptation status of military personnel in the Arctic under nutritional optimization with a food product containing biologically active substances

Introduction. Prolonged stay in the Far North imposes significant stress on the body’s adaptive mechanisms responsible for maintaining homeostasis. In this context, the nutrition of military personnel based on a scientifically ground system that ensures optimal intake of essential nutrients, including micronutrients, plays an important role in the acclimatization process. Proper dietary provision preserves and strengthen the health of military personnel, preventing the development of chronic adaptive stress.

Objective. Assessment of the adaptation state of military personnel in the Arctic following inclusion of a natural product rich in dietary and biologically active substances in their diet.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted in June–July 2022 in the Arctic, involving healthy and practically healthy male military personnel (n = 60; mean age 37.3 ± 3.1 years). The median duration of professional activity was 7.0 [5; 9] years. The subjects were divided into the following groups. The main group (n = 30) received 10.0 g of a plant protein product (PPP) incorporated into the main dinner meal for 21 days, whereas the comparison group (n = 30) was provided with a standard ration. The formulation of the PPP was developed considering the living conditions. The PPP included: chokeberry (aronia), flax seeds, carrots, broccoli, seaweed, and chicken eggshell. The amount of macro- and microelements, dietary fiber, and minor biologically active substances included in the PPP was calculated. The assessment of the body’s adaptation state was performed by analyzing leukograms. A complete blood count was performed using an automated hematology system (Abbott, USA). The types of non-specific adaptive reactions of the body, levels of reactivity, and adaptation status in the main group prior to and following administration of the PPP, as well as in the comparison group at baseline and on day 22 of the experiment, were determined using L. Garkavi’s method. Statistical processing of the initial data was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistica 6.1 software package.

Results. In individuals of the main group, a decrease in leukocyte counts from 6.52 ± 0.61 to (6.3 ± 0.47) × 10⁹/L was detected, along with an increase in the number of eosinophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and the percentage of band neutrophils. At baseline, in 2 (6.7%) participants from the main group, the type of adaptive reaction was classified as “enhanced activation,” while in 14 (46.7%) individuals it was defined as “training” and “calm activation.” By the end of the 22-day observation period, 28 (93.3%) subjects from the main group demonstrated the body’s adaptive reactions classified as “enhanced activation,” except for 2 (6.7%) individuals whose adaptive reaction type was assessed as “calm activation.” Prior to PPP intake, the level of body reactivity was assessed as high and medium in the majority of subjects. After 22 days, only one person in the main group had a medium level of reactivity, while all others were assessed as having a high level with the “enhanced activation” type of adaptive response. In individuals with the “calm activation” type, the level of reactivity was statistically significantly high in all cases. Following the PPP course in the main group, adaptation was assessed as being within a physiological norm in all servicemen. The comparison group, conversely, showed an increase in the proportion of individuals in a pre-nosological state.

Conclusions. It was established that in the absence of extreme cold exposure (as the study was conducted in the Arctic during the summer period), the non-specific adaptive mechanisms of the body in individuals of the main group and the comparison group were predominantly assessed as “training” (46.7–56.7%) and “calm activation” (36.7–43.3%), corresponding to high and medium levels of body reactivity. Nutritional optimization with the inclusion of PPP in the subjects of the main group contributed to stimulating metabolic processes in the body, a positive shift in lymphopoiesis (manifested in an increase in the proportion of individuals with the “enhanced activation” type of non-specific adaptive reaction to 93.3% in the main group), and the restoration of the adaptation state to the physiological norm.

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