Decreased vitamin B-6 status of submariners during prolonged patrol

We investigated the effects of a 3-mo submarine patrol upon several vitamin B-6 indices in 23 male submariners. While on patrol, 12 subjects received a multivitamin-mineral supplement that provided 0.5 mg/d vitamin B-6 and 11 subjects received a placebo. The concentrations of plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, total vitamin B-6, and urine 4-pyridoxic acid were significantly reduced during the patrol in both the placebo and the supplemented groups. The hematocrit of both groups also decreased by approximately 10% during the patrol and was not restored to prepatrol concentrations until several weeks postpatrol. Mood depressions, as measured by the Beck inventory and the depression adjective check list, were most pronounced during the 30 d before and at the beginning of the patrol. These depression measures did not correlate with the vitamin B-6 status indices, indicating that the mood depressions during a patrol do not appear to be related to the vitamin B-6 status of the submariners.