No abstract

Military training and operational stress can compromise health and performance of Soldiers. The availability of a sensitive biomarker of nutritional and physiological strain would have tremendous utility for monitoring soldier readiness as well as assessing the effectiveness of intervention and recovery strategies. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is sensitive to underfeeding and malnutrition; falling 50-60% during operational stress. It is a stable marker, minimally affected by circadian rhythms. IGF-I can be measured rapidly using minimally invasive techniques. IGF-1 monitoring offers the potential to reduce injury incidence and improve training effectiveness.