Anabolic Adaptations Occur in Conscripts During Basic Military Training Despite High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Decrease in Iron Status

ABSTRACT Introduction: In Estonian Defense Forces that are drawn up on the basis of the conscription model considerable numbers of young men are prematurely discharged from military service for medical reasons, but causes leading to premature dropout of conscripts have not been systematically studied. However, one of the factors involved could be relatively demanding physical training that starts at the beginning of military service in the form of basic military training (BMT). Cumulative training and nontraining stresses experienced by conscripts during BMT may exceed their physiological adaptability and increase the probability of becoming prematurely discharged. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to assess physiological responses to 10-week BMT in Estonian conscripts. Materials and methods: The protocol of the study confirmed to the standards set by the Declaration of Helsinki and it was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu. Mean ± SD age and body mass inde...