Role of the insulin-like growth factor system in bone health and military relevance during military training

Introduction: Bone is in a constant state of remodelling to remove old or damaged bone and form new bone. This process resorption formation ‘coupled’ preserve size, structure, mass. Several physiological challenges—typical military training employment—can disturb metabolism including high levels physical activity energy sleep restriction. Accumulation during exercise stimulates targeted remodelling, where the can cause pores cortical eventually stress fracture. also plays an important role maintaining circulating calcium homeostasis exercise. These changes lead (mal) adaptive response with implications for fracture risk long-term skeletal health. Approach: presentation will provide overview markers as indicators adaptation personnel. The processes formation, accuracy using biomarkers reflect these processes, first be reviewed. An emerging novel provided. Finally, critical review non-military studies provided identify utility biochemical monitoring responses exercise, nutritional interventions, restriction, risk. Discussion/conclusions: established urinary are available measuring resorption, metabolism. complex temporal consideration needs given underlying each biomarker represents. Novel methods isotopes isotope mass ratio spectrometry appear promising whole-body balance quantifying gain loss acute interventions. Laboratory show that individual stressors associated training, high-intensity restriction all have independent effects on both, men women. Biomarkers responsive both women, but it unclear how relate observed structural health not clear. Acknowledgement: Funding was by British Army.