Dataset for: Military training elicits marked increases in plasma metabolomic signatures of energy metabolism, lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation, and ketogenesis

Military training studies provide unique insight into metabolic responses to extreme physiologic stress induced by multiple-stressor environments, and the impacts of nutrition in mediating these responses. Advances in metabolomics have provided new approaches for extending current understanding of factors modulating dynamic metabolic responses in these environments. In this study whole-body metabolic responses to strenuous military training were explored in relation to energy balance and macronutrient intake by performing non-targeted global metabolite profiling on plasma collected from 25 male Soldiers before and after completing 4-d, 51-km cross-country ski march that produced high total daily energy expenditures [25.4 MJ/d (SD 2.3)] and severe energy deficits [13.6 MJ/d (SD 2.5)]. Of 737 identified metabolites, 478 changed during the training. Increases in 88% of the free fatty acids and 91% of the acylcarnitines, and decreases in 88% of the mono- and di-acylglycerols detected within lipid metabolism pathways were observed. Smaller increases in 75% of the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, and 50% of the branched-chain amino acid metabolites detected were also observed. Changes in multiple metabolites related to lipid metabolism were correlated with body mass loss and energy balance, but not with energy and macronutrient intakes or energy expenditure. These findings are consistent with an increase in energy metabolism, lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation, ketogenesis, and branched-chain amino acid catabolism during strenuous military training. The magnitude of the energy deficit induced by undereating relative to high energy expenditure appears to drive these changes, particularly within lipid metabolism pathways.

军事训练相关研究可为解析多应激环境诱导的极端生理应激下的代谢应答，以及营养对该应答的调控作用提供独特视角。代谢组学（metabolomics）技术的进步，为深化对这类环境下调控动态代谢应答的各类因素的认知提供了全新路径。本研究以25名男性士兵为对象，对其完成为期4天、总里程51公里的越野滑雪行军——该行军每日总能量消耗高达25.4 MJ/d（标准差SD 2.3），并造成严重能量缺口13.6 MJ/d（标准差SD 2.5）——前后采集的血浆样本开展非靶向全局代谢物谱分析（non-targeted global metabolite profiling），探究高强度军事训练下的全身代谢应答与能量平衡及宏量营养素摄入的关联。本次检测共鉴定出737种代谢物，其中478种在训练期间发生显著变化。研究观察到，脂质代谢通路中检测到的游离脂肪酸（free fatty acids）有88%、酰基肉碱（acylcarnitines）有91%水平升高，而单酰甘油与二酰甘油（mono- and di-acylglycerols）则有88%水平降低；同时三羧酸循环（tricarboxylic acid cycle）中间产物中有75%、检测到的支链氨基酸代谢物中有50%出现小幅升高。多种与脂质代谢相关的代谢物变化与体重丢失及能量平衡呈显著相关，但与能量摄入、宏量营养素摄入或能量消耗无明显关联。上述研究结果与高强度军事训练期间能量代谢、脂解、脂肪酸氧化、酮体生成及支链氨基酸分解代谢增强的现象相一致。相较于高能量消耗，进食不足所造成的能量缺口大小似乎是驱动这些代谢变化的核心因素，在脂质代谢通路中尤为显著。