Module 6: High CaliberNutrition In TheField

Topics pageIntroduction ……………………6-1

Burning Energy…………………6-2

More Energy ThanA Competitive Athlete…………6-3

Basics Of Performance Eating;Field Operations ………………6-4

Lots Of Carbohydrates ………6-5

Military Rations ………………6-6

Fluids ……………………………6-7

Nutrition Field Tactics ………6-8

Nutrition Functions& Sources ………………………6-9

Extreme Environments Tactics;Hot Climate ……………………6-12

Cold Environments……………6-13

High Altitude …………………6-14

Summary ………………………6-16

This module of Performance Nutritionwill investigate the importance ofadequate nutritional intake duringfield operations to support physicaland mental performance.

participant’s manual: module 6

1Getting Started

2Building aPerformance Diet

6High Caliber NutritionIn The Field

5NutritionalSupplements:The Facts

3Performance Choices

4Fluids: Your Key toPerformance

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The official records are maintained according to AR 25-400-2, The Army Records Information Management System under Record Number 600-63a, Army Health Promotions Files. These records will be kept in the Behavior Health Programs’ Center Files Area until no longer needed to conduct business, but no longer than 6 years, and then destroyed. The Power Performance, The Nutrition Connection was produced by ComTel Productions, Inc., for the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, under the direction of Carol Baker-Fulco, MS, RD. Reference of commercial products and services is made without discrimination or endorsement. Mention of product names in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of the U.S. Government. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect policies and/or official positions of the Department of Defense. © Copyright 1994, United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army. Contract # DAAK60-92-C-0093.

Introduction“Patrolling is an all day process. . . You’re in a hole one minute, you’reout the next. . . You’re always concentrating on getting from point A topoint B. When you’re moving out a distance of 800 meters or so, youbecome tired because there are a lot of hills. The terrain requires a lotof upper and lower body work, depending on the weight you’recarrying. Most of the time you’re too tired to eat.” -MARINE CORPS STAFF SGT.

FACT Field training and combat may be the most physically demanding work youdo in the military. You need food and water to give you energy and to keepyou alert for the long hours, strenuous work and extreme environmentalconditions you encounter in field training. In fact, eating and drinking canbe critical to your performance in the field.

CHALLENGE Yet many military personnel ignore nutrition when in the field. Granted, itcan be difficult to eat regularly in the field. But poor nutrition in the fieldcan lead to reduced endurance, strength and concentration. You lose youredge. In combat, losing your edge could lead to injury or death, for you oryour fellow troops.

This material will show you how nutrition affects your performance in thefield and how you can eat for performance, even in the strenuous conditionsof field exercises and combat.

OBJECTIVES: With this manual you can learn how to:

� Recognize the importance of adequate food and fluid intake duringfield operations.

� Identify appropriate food and fluid choices during field operations.

� Identify and manage key nutritional issues when training in hot, cold,and high altitude environments.

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The Elements ofMilitaryPerformance

What and when and how muchyou eat affect all of theseelements.

PHYSICAL M

ENTAL

EMOTIONAL

PERFORMANCE

KEY CONCEPT Adequate nutritional intake is important during field operations tosupport physical and mental performance.

Eating In The FieldThroughout this module are recommended food lists. Look at these lists and select which foods youwould prefer to eat.

ENVIRONMENT LISTS PAGEAny Extreme Environment: Good High-Carbohydrate Snacks 6-5

Cold Environment: What To Drink In The Cold 6-8

Hot Environments: When Heat Takes Your Appetite 6-13

Avoid The Fat 6-14

High Altitudes: Go Light On These High-fat Snacks In High Altitudes. This is a list of foods to avoid! Which food(s) will be difficult to avoid? 6-16

If You Are Suffering From Stomach Discomfort 6-16

Burning Energy When you are conducting field operations, either for training or in combat,chances are you are much more active than you are in garrison. In fact,during field operations you may burn as much energy as a competitiveathlete burns in an endurance event.

This chart compares the amount of energy you burn in some typical fieldand combat activities to the amount of energy burned in some athleticactivities.

CALORIES BURNED PER MINUTE

Note: These figures are based on the energy output of 170-lb. male. Womenburn about 10% fewer calories than a man weighing the same amount, doingthe same activity.

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MILITARY CALORIES ATHLETIC CALORIESTRAINING BURNED/MIN ACTIVITY BURNED/MIN

Grenade throwing 6.0 Calisthenics 5.8

Litter carry w/ 178 lb person 6.7 Hunting 6.7

Forward area foxhole digging 6.8 Baseball pitcher 7.0

Carrying boxes of ammo 7.3 Nautilus 7.1

Trooping ridge position 7.3 Tennis 7.4

Forward area position digging 7.7 Walking treadmill 4 mph 7.5

Rifleman in fire fight 7.9 Canoeing, fast 7.9

Walking, 3.5 mph, 66 lb load 8.1 Soccer 8.9

Rapid marching w/rifle & pack 8.4 Football 9.0

Creeping & crawling in full gear 9.0 Skiing hard snow, mod. 9.2

Backpacking, general 9.0 Rowing machine, mod. 9.3

Loading & unloading trucks 9.0 Water skiing 9.4

Cross country skiing, Backpacking, with55-77 lb pack, 3 mph 10.2 11 lb load 9.9

Rock or mountain climbing 10.3 Swimming, crawl, fast 10.6

Digging trenches 10.9 Cross country skiing 10.6

Climbing hills, 44 lb load 11.4 Basketball competition 11.4

Snowshoeing, soft snow 2.5 mph 12.8 Cycling racing 12.0

Walking in loose snow, Boxing, in ring, 44kg. load, 2.5 mph 20.2 match 17.1

HOW EATING FORPERFORMANCE HELPS YOUIN FIELD TRAINING ...

� Decreases fatigue.

� Increases endurance.

� Prevents dehydration.

� Maintains mental alertness.

� Reduces constipation anddiarrhea.

� Reduces risk of injury.

� Helps maintain emotionalstability.

� Maintains morale.

� Maintains body’s defensesystem.

� Prevents muscle loss andmaintains strength.

Vitamin & mineral pillscannot make up for a poor diet.

More Energy Than A Competitive Athlete When you are in the field, you could be using even more energy than acompetitive athlete.

� DURATION

You could burn more energy because you are active longer. You may beon the go 12, 14, even more hours in a day in the field, with little timefor rest and recovery.

Most athletes, on the other hand, train and compete for only severalhours a day. A marathon runner runs for two or three hours. A grandtour bicyclist rides from one to eight hours in a day. An Olympicdecathlon competitor may compete all day, but only for short periods,with some rest between events.

And, unlike the athlete who competes one day at a time, you areworking long hours in the field for days at a time.

� DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

During a day in the field you probably perform a range of activities.Most athletes do only one type of activity.

Sometimes you are doing several types of activities at the same time —

Endurance …Continuous walking, patrolling, road marching, crosscountry skiing, underwater swimming.

Short bursts of high intensity activity...running, airborne jump, mortarassembly, emergency medical assistance, hand to hand combat.

Strength activity …Carrying a mortar, lifting ammunition, bearing astretcher, emergency vehicle repair, lifting supplies.

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� LOAD BEARING

You could be walking or evenrunning with a weapon and afull load … 50 or more poundsof extra weight. You burn moreenergy when you carryadditional weight.

Olympic hurdlers, on the otherhand, don’t compete with packson their backs. A marathonerdoesn’t carry a weapon acrossthe finish line.

� EXTREMEENVIRONMENTS

In the kind of extremeenvironments you oftenencounter in the field or incombat — heat, cold, and highaltitude — you burn moreenergy than you do intemperate environments. In aday of mountain training, youburn more calories than a worldclass cyclist in the grueling Tourde France bicycle race.

WORK LIKE AN ATHLETE,EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE You’ve already seen that you canwork as hard as an athlete whenyou are in the field. The samefactors that are required for topathletic performance are needed fortop military performance.

Athletes need training,conditioning, and motivation towin. You need training,conditioning, and motivation toperform your best.

Athletes are also discovering thatnutrition is critical to athletictraining and performance. It’s thesame for you in military trainingand field operations.

What and how much you eat anddrink can mean the differencebetween top performance andstruggling to complete a mission.In extreme cases, these could meanthe difference between life anddeath.

TOPPERFORMANCE

ENERGY

FOOD

Basics Of Performance EatingThese rules of thumb are the basics of a performance diet recommended for athletes. They can help you achieve topperformance in military training and combat.

Field Operations: You Need To Eat More Food

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RULE OF THUMB WHY FOR TOP PERFORMANCE

EAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OFFOOD

LOTS OF CARBOHYDRATES

ADEQUATE PROTEIN

LOTS OF FLUIDS

NOT TOO MUCH FAT

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Food gives you energy.

Not enough food = fatigue. Toomuch food = unwanted pounds.

Energy nutrient for a quick start,short bursts of energy and the longhaul. Prevents fatigue by maintainingblood sugar and filling energy-givingglycogen stores.

Builds and repairs muscles andtissue. Needed to heal wounds andfight infections.

Prevents dehydration, whichreduces physical and mentalperformance.

Burned for energy, but slow to kickin. Body stores plenty of fat. Toomuch fat fills you up before you getenough carbohydrate, your premiumenergy nutrient.

The spark plugs in your engine, theykeep body functions runningsmoothly.

Balance food intake and physicalactivity … energy in, energy out.

55-70% of your calories — 400-500grams a day- - should becarbohydrate.

Total daily protein intake should be12- 15% of calories, or 60-150grams.

Drink frequently, at least 4-6 quartcanteens a day.

If you get 400-500 grams ofcarbohydrates in the field,30-35% ofcalories from fat (amount of fat inrations) is OK.

Eat a variety of foods. Operationalrations provide adequate quantitiesof vitamins and minerals if you eat allcomponents.

� Food gives you energy.

� The more energy you burn,the more food you need.

So, if you are more active duringfield training and combat than youare in garrison, you need to eatmore in the field.

Yet studies show that troops in thefield and in combat eat 20 to 40percent less than they need. Thismeans that, in many cases, troopsare not eating enough to give themthe energy they need for theirincreased activity.

Not eating enough can lead torapid weight loss, which can hurtphysical and mental performance.Rapidly losing as little as twopercent of your weight — thatwould be only 3.5 pounds for a

170-pound man — can slow youdown and decrease your enduranceand mental alertness. Your risk ofinjury and making a bad judgmentare increased.

When you lose weight rapidly, youalso lose muscle and otherimportant tissues. That means youare losing strength, which is vital toperformance.

If you severely deprive yourself ofcalories, you can lose yourmotivation and become depressed.In a survival situation, depressioncan be life-threatening.

Food also gives you valuable fluids.You lose fluids during rapid weightloss, which can dehydrate you andhurt your performance.

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Don’t Use Field Exercises As A WeightLoss Exercise Most rapid weight loss is water loss. You’ll probably regain it as soon asyou’re out of the field. If you want to diet, moderately decrease calories andfat. Go slow, be patient, and make it a permanent weight loss.

Lots Of CarbohydratesCarbohydrate is the premium energy nutrient. For top performance, at least55-60% of your calories — or a minimum of 400 grams per day — shouldcome from carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogengives you instant energy for short burst activities such as running across afield with a full load. It also gives you endurance energy for things likeforced marches and patrolling. Adequate carbohydrate also will prevent youfrom using precious body protein for energy.

Glycogen runs low after about two hours of continuous activity. That’swhen you can begin to feel lightheaded, tired or even run out of energyaltogether, the way marathon runners do when they “hit the wall.”

Eat carbohydrates frequently to keep your energy supply going. Complexcarbohydrates in foods such as bread, cereal, energy bars, potatoes, crackers,rice, and noodles are the best source of carbohydrate.

Without adequate carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes down, which cancause decreased mental alertness. You have trouble making decisions.

When you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, your glycogen levels go down.You become fatigued and increase your risk of injury.

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OVERHEARD IN THE FIELD:WHY SOME PEOPLE DON’TEAT DURING FIELDOPERATIONS ...

“No time to eat.”

“I want to lose weight.”

“Don’t like the food.”

“Too tired to eat.”

“I’d rather sleep.”

“Too hot to eat.”

“Too nervous to eat.”

“I want to get constipated so Idon’t have to go to thebathroom.”

Eating the amount and kind offoods you need for top performancecan be difficult in the field. Incombat, it can be even harder. Butrealizing how important nutrition isfor performance may help youovercome the barriers to eating aperformance diet in the field.

GOODHIGH-CARBOHYDRATE

SNACKSCRACKERS

COOKIE BARSBREAD

GRANOLA BARSCANNED FRUIT

FRUIT NEWTONSBAGELSCEREALJUICE

INSTANT NOODLESHOT CHOCOLATE

PerformanceNutrition:energyalertnessendurancepeak performance

InadequateNutrition:fatiguelightheadedexhaustionpoor performance

Grapefruit,while a wonderful food,

does not increase the rate that

your body burns fat.

Fat. Okay, But ...You need to eat some fat. Body fatburns as energy. It also helps keepyou warm in cold weather.

But eating too much fat can fill youup before you get enoughcarbohydrate, your primary energynutrient. Since fat from food iseasily stored as body fat, excess fatcan slow you down when it addsunwanted pounds.

In some extreme environmentshigh-fat foods cause stomachdiscomfort, which hurtsperformance.

Don’t feed your fat cells when it’syour carbohydrate stores that needrefueling. Avoid high-fat snacks inthe field. Rations supply a goodbalance of carbohydrate and fat togive you the energy you need.

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Military RationsAre GoodPerformance Meals

� They give you the mostnutrition in the smallestpackage.

� They are made with realfoods.

� Some ration components arefortified with addednutrients. That means whenyou eat a variety of rationcomponents you can meetyour performance needsduring field operations.

� They are not high-fat - Bymilitary standards theycontain no more than 35% of calories as fat. This is a greaterpercentage of fat than is recommended for less active times, but youmay need more fat in the field to get the calories you need.

� They require little or no preparation.

� They are packaged to retain their wholesomeness and nutrition forlong periods of storage.

� They use special packaging rather than preservatives for long shelf life.

� Ration developers continually improve and test new rations based onfeedback from the field.

IF YOU CAN’T EAT THE WHOLE RATION …One meal in a non-restricted operational ration contains 1200 to 1300calories. To meet energy needs in the field, most people should eat all threemeals.

TipsIf you can’t or don’t want to eat all of the food in the rations ...

� Eat some of each component to get a balance of nutrients.

� Eat the high carbohydrate items first.

� Save unopened dry snack items to eat when you’re on the move.

NOTE FOR WOMENAn entire ration may have more calories than many women need to maintainbody weight during field exercises. Share your ration with another person if theentire ration is too much for you. Be sure to eat some of each component to getall of the important nutrients.

What To DrinkIn The ColdBest Water

Cocoa - warmsyou, hascarbohydrates, islower in caffeinethan coffee.

Okay, Coffee and other but not caffeinated as good beverages -

caffeine increases sleeping difficultyand urination, whichincreases bodywater loss andleads todehydration.

Not good Alcohol - Alcoholdoes not warm youup. It does just theopposite. It lowersyour bodytemperature. It alsoslows your reactiontime and decreasesmental alertness.

“Fortified” foods have some added vitamins & minerals,

but they do not have all the nutrients you need.

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Fluids

POSSIBLE PERFORMANCE EFFECTS OR SYMPTOMS OF DEHYDRATION

MILD DEHYDRATION MODERATE DEHYDRATION SEVERE DEHYDRATION1-5% BODY WEIGHT LOSS 6-10% BODY WEIGHT LOSS 11-20% BODY WEIGHT LOSS

Thirst Dizziness Delirium Vague discomfort Headache Muscle spasms

Minimized physical capacity Weakness Swollen tongue Loss of appetite Shortness of breathe Can’t swallow

Flushed skin Tingling in limbs Deafness Impatience No saliva Dim vision Sleepiness Mental confusion Shriveled skin

Difficulty concentrating Slurred speech Painful urination Nausea Inability to walk Numb skin

Dark yellow or brown urine Kidney failure Death

Losing weight in the field oftenmeans you are losing water. Youcan lose several pounds of water ina short time doing heavy physicalwork.

The chart below shows you howdehydration can affect you. Evenmild dehydration can reduce yourphysical and mental performance.Dehydration can lead to heatexhaustion and heat stroke. Severedehydration can kill you.

TO AVOID DEHYDRATION DRINK cool, plain water. Water isemptied from the stomach fasterthan other fluids.

DRINK even if you’re not thirsty.By the time you’re feeling thirsty,you are already dehydrated.

DRINK frequently to maintainyour body’s water. Drink at least 4canteens of water a day.

BEFORE ACTIVITY- Drink 1 —2 1/2 cups cool water before youstart any physical activity.

DURING ACTIVITY- Drink 1-2cups (about 1/2 a canteen) an houror at every rest break.

DRINK more in extreme climates,especially heat and dry air.

LOOK for signs of dehydration.

A DANGEROUS MYTH “If you don’t drink during physicalactivity, you can condition yourbody to go without fluids.”

DRINK, DRINK, DRINKWater is your most criticalperformance nutrient. Not drinkingenough water dehydrates you —dries you out. Remember, if youfall out because you didn’t drinkenough, someone else has to pickup the slack.

When you are physically active,your body loses water more quicklythan it does when you are sitting ata desk. You can become dehydratedat any temperature, regardless ofhow physically fit you are, but youare at even greater risk ofdehydration in extreme climates.

THE TRUTHYou cannot condition yourbody to go without water.Not drinking is dangerous.

Everyone can become dehydrated.World class athletes, recreationalathletes, young, old, thin,overweight, muscular — everyoneis at risk of becoming dehydratedwhen they don’t drink.

Drink often. Drink before you feelthirst. Dehydration has already setin by the time you are thirsty.

Do Not Take SaltTablets! Salt tablets DEHYDRATE you.They absorb valuable waterand keep it from going to yourmuscles. The sodium andelectrolytes you lose in sweatcan be easily replaced withfood.

Do Not

RESTRICT Fluids!

� Try to eat at least THREETIMES A DAY

Your energy stores run downafter several hours. Restorethem with food regularly.Stopping to eat also restoresmorale.

� BEFORE activity, to BUILDUP your glycogen stores —try to eat a meal orsubstantial snack 2-4 hoursbefore heavy physical work orexercise. If you can’t, eat alight high-carbohydrate snackor drink a sugar-sweetened(not artificially sweetened)beverage up to one hourbefore physical activity.

� DURING activity, toMAINTAIN your glycogenstores — drink a sugar-sweetened beverage base mixfrom your rations or eatcrackers, a cookie or granolabar.

� AFTER heavy work orexercise, to REPLENISHyour glycogen stores — eat ahigh-carbohydrate meal orsnack (50-100 gramscarbohydrate) within 30minutes to two hours.

� SNACK when you can —Take high-carbohydratepogey bait or save unopenedsnack items from rations toeat on the run.

� Eat SOME OFEVERYTHING served byfield kitchens or in the rationto get all of the nutrients. Abalance of nutrients isnecessary for topperformance.

Some Tactics For Performance Nutrition In The Field

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� Eat whenever you HAVETHE CHANCE, even whenyou don’t feel like it. Thinkof nutrition as a combatmultiplier. Just as yourweapons need ammunitionand your vehicles need fuelto complete the mission, youneed food to perform yourbest in the field.

� DRINK FREQUENTLY,even when you’re not thirsty.

GO TO THE FIELDPREPARED Maintain a performance diet ingarrison. A regular high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet withadequate protein, vitamins andminerals will build up yournutritional fitness before you gointo the field. (See “NutrientFunctions & Sources” Chart onfollowing pages.)

FOOD SAFETY IN THE FIELDEating and drinking contaminatedfood and drink can seriously hurtyour performance. In hot climates,bacteria and other organisms breedquickly and can get into food andwater that is handled improperly.

That bacteria can cause diarrheaand other stomach and intestinalillnesses. Diarrhea and vomitingcan cause serious, even life-threatening dehydration.

To prevent food and drinkcontamination in the field:

� Purify any water, ice or snowyou use for drinking — evenif purification takes a longtime.

� Keep only purified water inyour canteen.

� Mixed powdered beveragebase in a cup, NOT in yourcanteen. Adding anything toyour canteen interferes withthe action of water purifiers.And, the sugar in thebeverage base would be afood for any bacteria thatgets into you canteen.

� Protect food and beveragesfrom insects, rodents, dustand humidity.

� Assume that all native foodsare contaminated and cancause stomach and intestinalproblems. Fresh fruits andvegetables fromunderdeveloped countriescan carry bacteria becausethey are frequently grown insoil contaminated by humanfeces. Always wash and peelor cook native fruits orvegetables before you eatthem.

� Know how long leftoversfrom opened individualration packets can be safelykept.

• Opened wet-pack rations(entrees, fruit) should beeaten or thrown awaywithin two hours inmoderate temperatures andimmediately in hotclimates.

• Opened dry components(bread, candy, cake,beverage powders) shouldbe eaten or discarded aftertwo days.

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Nutrient Functions & Sources

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Nutrient Functions & Sources (con’t)

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Nutrient Functions & Sources (con’t)

Hot Climates

Tactics For Performance Nutrition InExtreme EnvironmentsField training in extreme environments presents special performancenutrition requirements. For one thing, in heat and cold and at high altitudesyou burn more energy than you do in a temperate climate. Therefore, eatmore in extreme environments to fuel your increased energy needs.

Extreme environments create other risks that performance nutrition canhelp you overcome.

Energy Expenditure Variationsfield hot cold high

training climate climate altitude

normal +10% +20 – 50% +15 – 50%energy usage

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INCREASED RISKS

1. Dehydration

� Extreme heat causes yourbody to heat up faster, whichmakes you sweat more. Thatmeans you need more waterto stay cool.

When you’re carrying a loador working in chemicalprotective clothing, yourwater needs are even greater.

2. Rapid body weight loss

� Heat suppresses appetite,especially during the first fewdays of training. You maynot feel like eating theamount you should to refuelthe energy you are burning.

When you don’t eat in theheat, you are not gettingenough calories. Rapidweight loss reduces yourmuscle strength. You alsomay not be replacing the saltyou lose in sweat.

Also, food is a good source offluids. The result of noteating in hot climates can befatigue, dehydration, heatinjury, and illness.

HOT CLIMATE PERFORMANCENUTRITION TACTICS

THE DO’s � DO follow work/rest cycles.

� DO drink regularly, oftenand before you feel thirsty.

� DO drink 10-12 quartcanteens of water a day.

� DO drink up to 22 quartcanteens of water a day ifyou’re wearing chemicalprotective clothing inextreme heat.

� DO monitor urine color. If itis dark yellow or browninstead of pale yellow,drink more.

� DO watch for signs ofdehydration in yourself andothers.

� DO eat slightly more thanusual.

� DO try to eat at least threemeals a day.

� DO try to eat snacksbetween meals.

� DO eat high-carbohydrate,lowfat foods.

� DO purify water. Boilstream water for at least 10minutes.

� DO mix beverage powdersin a cup, not in yourcanteen.

THE DON’Ts� DON’T restrict fluids.

� DON’T go on a diet in thefield.

� DON’T drink unsterile wateror ice.

� DON’T add beveragepowders directly tocanteen.

� DON’T skip meals.

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3. Water and food-borne illness

� Heat encourages growth ofgerms in food and water.Illness caused by consumingcontaminated food and watercan lead to nausea, vomiting,diarrhea, and fever, whichincrease your risks ofdehydration and heat injury.

WHEN HEAT TAKES YOURAPPETITE Here are some foods that might bemore appetizing in the heat. Theyare high in carbohydrates and lowin fat. Sometimes eating a snackwill get your appetite going, soyou’ll feel like eating more.

CRACKERSCOOKIE BARS

CANNED FRUITBREAD

GRANOLA BARSJUICE

BAGELSFRUIT NEWTONS

INSTANT NOODLES

Remember, dehydration takes awayyour appetite. So keep drinking.

CANDY BARS DOUGHNUTS CHEESE

SNACK CAKES SAUSAGE JERKY

NUTS

Cold Environments

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COLD CLIMATE PERFORMANCENUTRITION TACTICS

THE DO’s � DO heat food and

beverages when you can.

� DO have a warm beverageor snack before sleeping.

� DO drink more than yourthirst mechanism tells youto — at least 4 quartcanteens of water a day.Drink 5-6 quarts per day ifactivity level is high.

� DO melt and purify ice andsnow before consuming.

� DO check the color of yoururine for dehydration. Itshould be clear, paleyellow.

THE DON’Ts� DON’T diet during cold

weather training.

� DON’T try new fad diets,such as high-fat dietswhich are thought to begood for you in the cold.Changing your eatinghabits can cause stomachand intestinal problems,which hurt performance.

� DON’T have only cold foodand drinks.

� DON’T eat ice or snow.

� DON’T drink alcohol. Itlowers your bodytemperature.

� DON’T eat extra salt or salttablets. Salt increases yourneed for water.

AVOID THE FATStay away from high-fat foods inhot weather. Fat is harder to digestand might suppress your appetiteeven more. These are not good hot-weather foods.

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INCREASED RISKS:

1. Hypothermia

� A life threatening condition that results when your body can’t makeenough heat to keep you warm. Along with proper clothing andshelter, food is critical to keeping you warm.

Dehydration can make you feel even colder. It impairs your shiveringresponse and, if you are sluggish because of dehydration, you won’twant to do physical activity which generates body heat.

When you lose heat, you lose strength and mental alertness. Losingtoo much body heat can lead to death.

2. Dehydration

� Even though you may not feel sweaty in a cold climate, you lose bodyfluid during physical activity. You also lose lots of water through yourlungs when you breathe cold, dry air.

Dehydration can make you feel even colder. It reduces your appetiteand impairs your shivering response.

3. Weight loss

� You might burn 20-50% more energy in the cold than you do intemperate climates. It takes extra energy to move in heavy clothing,move across snow and ice, and prepare positions in frozen ground.You also have to stay physically active or shiver to keep warm.

Not eating enough in cold climates can lead to fatigue and rapidweight loss. When you lose weight, you lose strength and critical heat-generating tissue and insulating body fat.

OVERCOME BARRIERS TO EATING IN THE COLDExtreme cold can make it uncomfortable to prepare food and to eat. Tomaintain energy, it’s important to eat high-carbohydrate foods regularly inthe cold. Also, some fat in foods is more valuable in cold climates. It turnsto body fat, which helps insulate you against the cold.

Eat warm foods. Heated food and beverages help performance in coldclimates. They warm you up. A warm beverage or snack right before sleepcan help you sleep more comfortably.

Don’t eat unmelted, unpurified ice and snow. Eating ice and snow makesyou colder, increases your risk of diarrhea, and can damage the lining ofyour mouth.

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High Altitude

At high altitude you have toperform skilled movements withspeed and coordination. Cold, lackof oxygen and hazardous terrainincrease the physical and mentalstress of altitude operations.

Nutrition is critical to performancein high altitudes. You need enoughof the right kind of food and fluidsto maintain your energy, quickreflexes and mental alertness.

COMMON PROBLEMS:

1. Weight loss

� High energy demands andeating difficulties often leadto weight loss duringmountain training. Some ofthat loss is body fat. Some islean tissue.Weight loss ataltitude can beincapacitating.

Weight loss can cause fatigue;loss of strength, mentalalertness and morale; anddecreased tolerance to thecold. These effects of weightloss can lead to accidents andfailure to accomplish yourmission.

When you work hard inrugged mountain terrain, youburn between 15 and 50percent more energy thanyou do at sea level. Troops inintense mountain trainingmay use as many as 6000calories a day.

2. Loss of appetite

� At the same time, yourappetite may decrease.Especially during the firstseveral days at altitude, acutemountain sickness can causenausea, vomiting, headaches,and lack of appetite. It takesless food to feel full, and thealtitude can dull your senseof taste.

Food preferences can change.High-fat foods, which helpboost your calorie intake,may not be appetizing.

Food preparation at a highelevation is difficult. Cookingtime doubles for every 5000feet you ascend. In the coldtemperatures and thin air,food starts out colder andloses heat faster.

3. Low-carbohydrate intake

� Carbohydrates are especiallyimportant at altitude. Theyreplace glycogen, yourmuscle’s major source ofenergy. Carbohydrates alsoneed less oxygen than othernutrients to be burned forenergy.

A high-carbohydrate diet canhelp prevent or reduce theeffects of acute mountainsickness. And carbohydratesmaintain your blood sugarlevel. Low blood sugar causesconfusion, disorientation andloss of coordination, a deadlystate when one wrong movecould plummet you off themountain.

If you are having troublekeeping your weight up, eathigh-carbohydrate snacksrather than high-fat snacks.

HIGH ALTITUDE PERFORMANCENUTRITION TACTICS

THE DO’s � DO keep calorie intake

high— At least 3500calories/day.

� DO eat portions of all rationfoods and plan for snacks.

� DO try to have at least onehot meal a day.

� DO eat bland, low-fat foodsif you’re sick

� DO drink at least 5 quartcanteens of water a day.

� DO start by eating smallquantities of high-carbohydrate food andbuilding to larger portions ifyou have stomachproblems.

� DO melt and purify snowand ice before consuming.

� DO check the color of yoururine for dehydration. Itshould be clear, paleyellow.

THE DON’Ts� DON’T diet.

� DON’T skip meals orsnacks.

� DON’T force yourself to eatif you’re nauseous orvomiting.

� DON’T fill up on high-fatfoods.

� DON’T stop drinking toavoid urinating.

� DON’T drink unpurifiedsnow.

� DON’T drink alcoholicbeverages.

4. Dehydration

Several things can increase the riskof dehydration at high altitude:

� Increased urination caused byaltitude and cold.

� Increased water loss from lungsdue to cold, dry air.

� Increased water loss fromdiarrhea and vomiting causedby acute mountain sickness(AMS).

� Decreased fluid intake due tonausea of AMS.

� Dulled thirst mechanism athigh altitude.

� High magnesium content ofglacier water can causediarrhea, adding to body waterloss.

� Giardia, an intestinal parasitecommon in high altituderegions, causes diarrhea, whichcan lead to dehydration.

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5. Stomach Discomfort

The decreased oxygen and loss ofbody fluid you experience at highaltitude can slow down digestion.Slower digestion can cause gas andconstipation, which further reduceappetite.

IN HIGH ALTITUDES GO FORHIGH CARBOS, LOW FATFor top performance at altitude,60-70 percent of your caloriesshould be carbohydrates. You mayneed to bring extra high-carbohydrate snacks to maintainthis percentage. (See page 6-5 for alist of high-carbohydrate snacks.)

Avoid high-fat foods at altitude.They can cause stomach upset athigh altitude, and they might fillyou up before you get thecarbohydrates you need.

GO LIGHT ON THESE HIGH-FAT SNACKS IN HIGHALTITUDES

SAUSAGEJERKYNUTS

CANDY BARSCHEESE

DOUGHNUTSSNACK CAKES

IF YOU’RE SUFFERING FROMSTOMACH DISCOMFORT Stick to bland, low-fat foods.

CRACKERSBREAD

MASHED POTATOESRICE

CEREALPOTATOESPUDDING

Sip liquids frequently.

IF YOU CAN’T STAND THETHOUGHT OF EATINGSOLID FOOD:Drink hot chocolate, sweetened teaor other beverage bases from yourrations. They are good sources ofcarbohydrates and fluids.

A high-carbohydrate, glucose-polymer “sport drink” is also good.It’s easier on your stomach thansome high-sugar fluids.

DON’T DRINK ALCOHOLICBEVERAGESAlcohol can reduce performance inseveral ways at high altitude. Forone thing, it is burned in yourbody like fat. It takes more oxygenthan other nutrients to beconverted to energy.

Alcohol also lowers your bloodsugar, which causes fatigue. And itincreases water loss, increasing yourrisk of becoming dehydrated. Itcontributes to heat loss and lowersyour body temperature.

Alcohol disorients you anddecreases mental alertness,increasing your risk of injury.

The NutritionConnection ToPerformancePower In The FieldYour physical, mental andemotional performance will neverbe more vital than it is during fieldoperations. Food and water are fuelfor your most important weapons— your mind and your body.

A performance diet helps athletessucceed. A performance diet canhelp you successfully accomplishyour mission. Do everything youcan to maintain your energy levelsin the field.

If your job in the field is morephysical than in garrison, you needto consume more calories duringfield operations. Field operationsare not times to drastically cut backon calories.

Eat high-carbohydrate meals orsnacks every three or four hours tokeep your brain thinking straightand your muscles ready for action.Eat some of each ration componentto get a balance of all the vitaminsand minerals you need.

Drink, drink, drink — regularlyand often to avoid the performancedecreasing effects of dehydration.Be aware of the increased energyand water needs in extremeenvironments.

Nutrition: A ForceMultiplier

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Summary Points

� Nutrition can affect your performance during field exercises.

� In the field you may work as hard as an athlete in training.

� To maintain top performance in the field, you should eat like anathlete.

� If you burn more energy in field training than you do in garrison, youneed to increase your calorie intake.

� A performance diet is high in carbohydrate, low in fat and has abalance of other nutrients, including protein and vitamins andminerals.

� Eat some of each ration component for a balanced performance diet.

� Be aware of special nutrition needs in extreme environments.

� Drink regularly and often to avoid dehydration.

Now You Are Ready To Begin!

When conducting field operations:

1. Do you perform demanding physicalwork or exercise 3 or more days perweek?

2. Do you often perform prolongedphysical activities day after day?

3. Do you want your job to be easier?

4. Do you want to improve yourperformance?

5. Do you want to feel better?

6. Do you want more energy?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you needPerformance Nutrition!

Yes No Unsure

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