Nutrition - The most important and overlooked piece of gear

[Cadance]

So ive been watching from the shadows...and ive even seen some people out on OPs. I see people talking about all this gear that they want/need. Night optics, camo gear, weapons, but never about Nutrition/food in the field.

The body needs fuel, we all know that. And certain types of fuel are better for certain types of activities. While proper diet is key for our shared lifestyle, nutrition in the field is vital to survival. What happens when you are in the field, deep behind enemy lines and you get hungry? Scavenge at the AO? Pull out that bag of cheetohs that you brought with you? Some of you might have invested in MRE(s) or similar military rations.

One thing I suggest is a snickers candy bar. The reason for this is the protein content. Protein and carbs are our friends. Sugar and caffeine are our enemies. And heres why.

Protein function in exercise
Proteins are one of the key nutrients for success in terms of sports. They play a major role in the response to exercise. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are used for building new tissue, including muscle, as well as repairing damaged tissues.[4] Proteins, however, only provide a small source of fuel for the exercising muscles when carbohydrates and lipid resources are low. Adults need between 46 grams and 56 grams per day of protein.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/b ... otein.html
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_%28nutrient%29

Carbohydrates or Carbs are a complex sugar and are used by the body for a long term release of energy, this is because it takes the body time to both break down and metabolize it.

Sugar (Glucose/Dextrose/Sucrose) these are simple sugars and as the opposite to carbohydrates they are easily broken down and metabolized by the body. Whenever you need that short quick burst of energy, its the simple sugars that are doing the job. When you are running and you feel your muscles getting tired that is because they are signaling that they are running out of glucose and filling with lactic acid.

Caffeine is a stimulant as many of you know. However this stimulant effect is quite short lived. Caffeine is a toxic substance and the body works quickly to rid itself of it, it is filtered out by the liver and the kidneys. A caffeine overdose can cause liver damage similar to damage caused by alcohol.

Now back to my suggestion of snickers candy bar as a nutrition aide in the field. If you look at the nutritional facts 1 bar has the following:

271 calories - 34.5 g carbs - 28.8 g sugar - 4.3 g protein

This boost can get you through a mission when its needed. As a bonus they do make a special variety that uses a unmeltable chocolate. However I am not sure if that can be obtained outside of their military supply contracts.

I encourage all of you to study this information and find newer and better field supplies.

[black_ice]

Thanks for the info, Cadence. Greatly appreciate it.

[Kikikachee]

I think something like a Clif Bar would be more beneficial than a candy bar.

[Psychlonic]

I've taken a little water with me on a few operations, but very rarely do I take anything to eat. I could see it if perhaps you were leaving as soon as the sky began to darken and not come back until sunrise, but even I don't really get hungry or otherwise depleted of energy during operations and I've got a ridiculous metabolism that's more fuel inefficient than a Hummer. Water and possibly electrolytes are an entirely different matter, as I've probably lost quite a bit of water weight on several operations. An extended version of these would definitely dehydrate someone.

For the person who absolutely has to have something for one reason or another, Snickers bars aren't a bad choice primarily because of the availability of it. I would say carbs are way more important than protein during the operation itself unless you are out for days on end without coming back home. Your body shouldn't wither away in one night if you take protein after the op. As for food choices, any sort of meal bar would be a lot better but they're not as common. Clif Bars as mentioned are an option, there's a Japanese item called Calorie Mate that isn't bad and is packed with stuff, Powerbars are pretty good about giving you energy, whatever works. Shakes like those Carnation breakfast drinks are also a good item if you've got a little more room and can be downed in seconds easily.

For most of us, having a meal rich in starches a couple hours before the operation and something like chocolate milk before heading out would be better. Then, after coming back in, taking in gobs of protein and a banana to help any muscles that've worked hard rebuild themselves. Along with a proper exercise regimen, the operative shouldn't tire out except in the most serious of situations and in those cases you probably aren't going to be choking down food anytime soon.

Caffeine can be a double edged sword, I think it can be effective but it's often misunderstood by both sides. As a stimulant, it takes whatever energy your body has in it already and sends it through your system faster. Your metabolism increases and you get more resources. That's why you "crash", your body gobbles up the resources faster giving you energy, but then you run out and have nothing left. On an operation, this is a problem since you probably don't have a means to replentish those resources. Speaking on experience gained from my own person exercise and diet, ideal operation performance would probably be gained by downing tons of carbs and caffeine before heading out and then consuming carbs constantly at every chance possible during the operation. Of course, this would be incredibly hard on the body in the long term and the logistics of constantly eating while trying to maintain stealth and complete objectives pretty much rule out the idea, but it's an interesting thought.

Just my two cents. To tell the truth I don't put much thought into operation nutrition since I maintain a constant diet and exercise lifestyle, but as Napoleon once said, "An army marches on its stomach." No energy? Shitty performance.