Changes in gut hormones and leptin in military personnel during operational deployment in Afghanistan

Objective Understanding the mechanisms that drive weight loss in a lean population may elucidate systems that regulate normal energy homeostasis. This prospective study of British military volunteers investigated the effects of a 6‐month deployment to Afghanistan on energy balance and circulating concentrations of specific appetite‐regulating hormones. Methods Measurements were obtained twice in the UK (during the Pre‐deployment period) and once in Afghanistan, at Mid‐deployment. Body mass, body composition, food intake, and appetite‐regulatory hormones (leptin, active and total ghrelin, PYY, PP, GLP‐1) were measured. Results Repeated measures analysis of 105 volunteers showed body mass decreased by 4.9% ± 3.7% (P