Combat the Effects of Physical Stress

Polar expeditions to Antarctica offer a unique opportunity for scientists to analyze changes in biological and physiological parameters involved in lipid, glucose, and thyroid hormone metabolism as expedition members’ bodies attempt to adapt to the harsh environment.  Masahisa Horiuchi, from the Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Japan), and colleagues studied 22 Japanese Antarctica Research Expedition members who stayed in Antarctica for 3 months starting in December 2010.  The subjects were randomly assigned to receive a daily supplement of ornithine (400 mg as l-ornithine hydrochloride), an amino acid, or placebo, for four weeks.  Participants were self-assessed as to quality of sleep during the stay in the Antarctic.   Blood analysis revealed that the physically challenging expedition caused levels of creatine kinase, pactate dehydrogenase, and ammonia to rise.  Sleep disturbances improved among the ornithine-supplemented subjects, as compared to the control group.  The study authors conclude that: “[Ornithine] is effective for people with heavy physical workloads in places such as Antarctica.”