Changes in Body Composition during a Simulated Arctic Military Exercise: 'Kool Stool I'.

• Main Authors: O'Hara,W J, Allen,C L
• Other Authors: DEFENCE AND CIVIL INST OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE DOWNSVIEW (ONTARIO)
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1976
• Subjects: Personnel Management and Labor Relations; Stress Physiology; *COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS; *HUMAN BODY; MILITARY OPERATIONS; SIMULATION; CANADA; METABOLISM; TEMPERATURE CONTROL; INFANTRY PERSONNEL; BODY FLUIDS; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; BODY WEIGHT; DEHYDRATION; KETONES; PULMONARY FUNCTION; MILITARY RATIONS; EXERCISE(PHYSIOLOGY); BIOINSTRUMENTATION; Arctic; Canada; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA036717; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA036717

A one week simulated Arctic military exercise was undertaken to observe whether certain physiological changes observed during actual two week military patrols in the Canadian subarctic and Arctic would also occur within a cold climatic facility. Energy balance studies were conducted; predictions of daily energy expenditure were quite similar for both studies, respective values for the actual and simulated studies being 3358 and 3355 kcal/man/day. While the men in the northern study were estimated to be in caloric balance, the infantrymen in the cold chamber had a daily caloric deficit of over 500 kcal, a total experimental imbalance calculated to be equivalent to a 0.5 kg loss of body fat. There were physiological indications that dehydration had developed by the conclusion of the study. There was an 80% daily incidence of ketonuria and unexpectedly 50% of the subjects had glucosuria on one or more occasions.