USAMRMC
Military
Operational
Medicine
Research
Program
Lab Locations and Capabilities
Environmental Medicine and Bioenergetics
| Metabolic Regulators to Optimize Warfighter Performance in Adverse Environments |
MOMRP Task Area: B
Problem
Nutrition is a key moderator of health and performance decrements produced by operational stressors. The formulation of rations and specific ration components provide opportunities for designing significant countermeasures. For example, carbohydrate supplementation in the form of the HOOAH bar and Ergo drink can be used during prolonged work to extend endurance time by at least 15% in operational environments. Other concepts that may appear to be logical solutions such as a compact energy-dense, high-fat ration are actually detrimental to health and performance in some circumstances.
Medical Research Solution
Conduct biomedical research to provide data needed to establish appropriate guidance for effective nutritional performance enhancers and to steer food technologists away from inadvertently bad solutions. The research includes lab and field studies on metabolism and performance, modeling of the results, and testing hypothesis-driven concepts in military training and operational environments.
Products
Biomedically-based guidance for ration developers:
- Macronutrient optimization for performance enhancement to include protein requirements and specific benefits of tyrosine to mitigate stress related to diminished brain neurotransmitters.
- Neuroprotective nutrients (e.g., creatine, co-enzymeQ10).
- Ration component(s) to enhance disease resistance normally reduced in stressful operational environments.
Last Update: April 2, 2003