The Functional States of the Participants of a Marine Arctic Expedition with Different Levels of Vitamin D in Blood

Abstract

(1) Background: The vitamin D level in blood is one of the markers of the functional reserves of the human body and can contribute to more successful adaptation in the Arctic. (2) Methods: The study involved 38 participants in the project “Arctic Floating University—2021”. The determination of vitamin D content was carried out at the beginning of the expedition. A dynamic study was carried out for 20 days in the morning and in the evening. The functional state parameters of the participants were assessed using psychophysiological and questionnaire methods. Statistical methods: Mann–Whitney U-test and correlation analysis. (3) Results: It was found that at the beginning of the expedition, the functional state of participants with more severe vitamin D deficiency is characterized by a shorter average duration of RR intervals (p = 0.050) and reduced SDNN values (p = 0.015). The higher the content of vitamin D, the greater increase in speed (r = 0.510), the higher the increase in projective performance (r = 0.485), and the smaller the increase in projective stress (r = −0.334). Significant relationships between the subjective characteristics of functional states and the vitamin D of participants have not been established. (4) Conclusion: With an increase in the severity of vitamin D deficiency in the blood, the adaptive capabilities of participants decrease during an expedition to the Arctic.

[Need for Security and Stress Coping Strategies of Participants from The XXXI Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition

“…В специализираната литература съществува значителен интерес към детерминантите на поведението, психологическите промени, стратегиите за справяне със стреса и функционирането на членовете на полярни експедиции (Gunderson 1974;Gunderson & Pálinkás 1991;Mihra 2006;Pálinkás, Suedfeld & Steel 1995;Suedfeld 2001;Khandelwal et al 2015Khandelwal et al , 2017Zimmer et al 2013;Domuschieva-Rogleva, Iancheva 2017, Iancheva, Boyanov, Panayotov 2023. Изследва се влиянието на Аз-концепцията, тревожността, междуличностните отношения и личностните характеристики върху дейностите в полярните експедиции (Pálinkás & Johnson 1990;Pálinkás 2003;Rosnet, Le Scanff & Sagal 2000;Domuschieva-Rogleva, Iancheva, Shopov 2017), адаптацията и човешката дейност в Антарктида и тяхната специфика, свързана с екстремния характер на антарктическите климатични и географски условия (Gjelten et al 2016;Padrtová, Trávníčková 2017;Korneeva 2022;Descamps et al 2016;Simonova et al 2023).…”