Metabolical changes induced by adaptation to circumpolar conditions in Spitsbergen.

The aim of the study was to search for hormonal and metabolical indices in humans living in extreme environmental conditions. Serum metabolic and hormonal parameters were examined four times per year in 577 healthy men in Svalbard 78 degrees N. Serum creatinine and pyruvate reflected the tissue metabolism and were activated in cold time. Serum urea and total T3 were associated with the metabolical transformations resulting from rapid changes in light conditions.