Sõja- ja katastroofi meditsiini õpe meditsiinitudengitele

Eesti Arst 2014; 93(1):10–1

Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in a Military Cadet Population Participating in an Injury-Prevention Program

Background and Objectives: Musculoskeletal injuries are a major health hazard among military personnel. Previous research has proposed several exercise-based strategies for prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an exercise-based injury-prevention program on the incidence of musculoskeletal injury, motor performance and psychosocial status. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six Estonian Military Academy cadets were randomly assigned into either an intervention or control group. The intervention group followed a neuromuscular exercise-based injury-prevention warm-up program, three times per week for 6 months. The control group continued with the usual warm-up. The main outcome measure was injury incidence during the study period. Additionally, evaluation of isokinetic lower-extremity strength, postural sway, physical fitness and psychosocial status was included pre- and post-intervention. Results: During the 6-month study period, the musculoskeletal injury incidence was 43% in the intervention group and 54% in the control group (RR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.41 to 1.99). The noted 20% risk reduction was not statistically significant (p = 0.59). Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control group in motor performance or psychosocial status measures. Conclusions: In conclusion, no effect of the exercise-based injury-prevention program on injury risk, motor performance or psychosocial status could be detected

Seven-month wintertime supplementation of 1200 IU vitamin D has no effect on hand grip strength in young, physically active males: a randomized, controlled study.

Background: There has been a growing interest in the role of vitamin D for the well-being and physical performance of humans; however, there is a lack of long-term supplementation studies performed on members of the young, physically active, male population. Hypothesis: The hypothesis of the study was that vitamin D supplementation during wintertime will decrease the prevalence of critically low vitamin D blood serum levels and increase hand grip strength during the winter season among young male conscripts. Study Design: Longitudinal, triple-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Fifty-three male conscripts from the Estonian Army were randomized into two groups: 27 to an intervention group and 26 to a placebo group. The groups were comparable in terms of their demographics. The intervention group received 1200 IU (30 µg) capsules of vitamin D3 and the control group received placebo oil capsules once per day. The length of the follow-up was seven months, from October 2016 until April 2017. Blood serum vitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium (Ca), ionized calcium (Ca-i), testosterone and cortisol values and hand grip strength were measured four times during the study period. Results: The mean 25(OH)D level decreased significantly in the control group to a critically low level during the study, with the lowest mean value of 22 nmol/l found in March 2017. At that time point, 65% in the control group vs 11% in the intervention group (p < 0.0001) had 25(OH)D values of less than 25 nmol/l (p < 0.001). In the intervention group the levels of 25(OH)D did not change significantly during the study period. All other blood tests revealed no significant differences at any time point. The corresponding result was found for hand grip strength at all time points. Conclusion: Long-term vitamin D supplementation during wintertime results in fewer conscripts in the Estonian Army with critically low serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels during the winter season. However, this did not influence their physical performance in the form of the hand grip strength test

10 months 4000IU vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of vitamin D deficiency but has no effect to physical performance during active military training in high-latitudes – a randomized controlled trial

Embargoed til publishedBackground: Vitamin D deficiency with related consequences to human health has growing interest to military specific researchers worldwide. Many specific conditions could put soldiers in to the higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. Under high level of physical pressure during military training might increase the need of vitamin D in human body and therefore supplementation with vitamin D could be crucial for general health and physical fitness. Study Design: Longitudinal, triple-blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Methods: 113 men conscripts from the Estonian Army were randomized into two vitamin D supplementation groups: 58 to an 4000 IU and 58 to an 600 IU group. The length of the follow-up was ten months, from July 2021 until May 2022. Physical fitness and hand grip tests were performed 3 times and blood serum (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone, calcium, ionized calcium values were measured 4 times during the study period. Results: The 600IU group had a significantly lower mean value of 25(OH)D in all time points during the study compared to 4000IU group (p<0.001) except baseline. Non of the study subjects in the Group A 600IU reached sufficient level of 25(OH)D in January and May. 61.3% in the 600IU and 30.6% 4000IU group had 25(OH)D levels under 50 nmol/L in May. No statistically significant differences found in the body weight and vitamin D correlation analysis in any time point on between study groups. No statistically significant differences in PTH, i-Ca were found between study groups at any time point except Ca results. No significant differences at any time points were revealed in the physical fitness test and hand grip strength tests except in non-dominant hand grip test in October. Conclusion: Ten months vitamin D3 4000IU supplementation decreased risk of vitamin D deficiency but had no effect to physical fitness compared to low dosage vitamin D supplementation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04939636. Prospectively registered 13 October 2020

Severe deficiency of Vitamin D has no negative effect on physical performance during military training

Introduction Decreased physical fitness and inferior physical performance are risk factors and potentially life threatening in the combat situation. To examine the effect of Vitamin D on physical performance a prospective longitudinal 10-month study of young male conscripts in the Estonian Army was designed. The hypothesis of the study was, that severe deficiency of Vitamin D has a negative effect on physical performance. Materials All conscripts (n = 410) entering the 10-month military service in July 2015 at the Kuperjanov Battalion were asked to participate. A total of 98 male conscripts volunteered to participate initially. Study design and data collection A prospective longitudinal study with a 10-month follow-up period was performed. The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) test was performed three times, the hand grip strength and blood serum values of 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium (Ca) were measured four times. Results A significant decrease in the levels of 25(OH)D compared with the baseline values were found, with a lowest mean value of 31.9 nmol/l in March 2016 (p 25nmol/L. Discussion The main finding of the present study was that severe deficiency of 25(OH)D were common among male conscripts during the winter season, but had no negative effect on physical performance in terms of the APFT test and hand grip strength test. Conclusion Severe deficiency of Vitamin D during the winter season are common but have no negative effect on physical performance in young physically active men in military service

Seven-month wintertime supplementation of 1200 IU vitamin D has no effect on hand grip strength in young, physically active males: A randomized, controlled study

Background There has been a growing interest in the role of vitamin D for the well-being and physical performance of humans under heavy training such as conscripts in military service; however, there is a lack of long-term supplementation studies performed on members of this type of young, physically active, male population. The hypothesis of the study was that vitamin D supplementation during wintertime will decrease the prevalence of critically low vitamin D blood serum levels and increase hand grip strength during the winter season among young male conscripts. Study Design Longitudinal, triple-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Methods Fifty-three male conscripts from the Estonian Army were randomized into two groups: 27 to an intervention group and 26 to a placebo group. The groups were comparable in terms of their demographics. The intervention group received 1200 IU (30 µg) capsules of vitamin D3, and the control group received placebo oil capsules once per day. The length of the follow-up was 7 months, from October 2016 until April 2017. Blood serum vitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium (Ca), ionized calcium (Ca-i), testosterone and cortisol values, and hand grip strength were measured four times during the study period. Results The mean 25(OH)D level decreased significantly in the control group to a critically low level during the study, with the lowest mean value of 22 nmol/l found in March 2017. At that time point, 65% in the control group vs 15% in the intervention group had 25(OH)D values of less than 25 nmol/l (p < 0.001). In the intervention group, the levels of 25(OH)D did not change significantly during the study period. All other blood tests revealed no significant differences at any time point. The corresponding result was found for hand grip strength at all time points. Conclusion Long-term vitamin D supplementation during wintertime results in fewer conscripts in the Estonian Army with critically low serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels during the winter season. However, this did not influence their physical performance in the form of the hand grip strength test