The Importance of Dietary Supplements and Military Training
As a soldier, you know the amount of military training, drills, and workouts you do consistently to stay in shape mentally and physically. Even if you are not actively deployed, you understand the importance of being ever vigilant and maintaining heightened performance requirements.
“It’s not what you do…It’s what you’re trained to do”
Most of the civilian and enlisted populations have a keen interest in maintaining health and preventing disease. However, for those of you in uniform, a typical “day at the office” is not so typical. When an office worker has a little after lunch slump and dozes off, they may simply get a reprimand or an embarrassing red mark on their face from falling asleep on the computer. When a soldier loses focus…he or she may lose a life – theirs or one of their teams.
Military Training and Heightened Performance
You are unique. You must condition yourself mentally and physically to stay in peak performance in order to carry out your duties. Part of this will result from the physical training you are involved with; part will be the result of the mental training and focus you can maintain; and part of it will be the result of providing your body with the proper blend of nutrition and dietary supplements.
And, because of the extreme conditions that you may face, simply taking the standard multi-vitamin may not be sufficient to address your body’s special dietary needs.
When you are involved in high physical activity, your body will need the same support as an elite athlete. The ability for endurance, quick recovery, mental alertness, and a strong immune system to protect against environmental factors are just some of the ever changing and challenging needs your body may face.
Military Training prepares you for deployment. In that preparation and out in the field you will most likely be involved in high-demand physical challenges that require:
- Strength and endurance
- Lifting and Carrying heavy loads
- Combat Activities
- Patrolling
- Mountaineering
- Attacking, Ambushing, Raiding
Mental stamina and alertness are required and you must be ready to make rapid decisions and judgments. There is no time for second guessing. In a moment, you may be called upon to evaluate a lethal situation and then act upon that evaluation which may require excellent marksmanship. Other cognitive functions such as spatial mapping and pattern recognition must also be in top shape.
Your military training can help you with the physical and mental demands of your job. It can teach you how to perform. However, to get to heightened performance levels you need to work with your body’s internal systems as well.
What’s Lacking in Military Training for Optimal Performance?
Even the U.S. Army is aware that there is more to heightened performance than P.T. They understand that the proper nutrition and supplementation are required to keep military personnel functioning at top levels. In fact, extensive studies have been and continue to be conducted around the benefits and any potential risks of Dietary Supplements. You may already be familiar with some nutritional products developed by the U.S. Army:
- First Strike Energy Bars
- ERGO (Energy Rich Glucose Optimized) Drink
- Stay Alert caffeine packed chewing gum
They understand that basic military training can develop the skills required during deployment but additional nutritional support must be introduced that will prepare the body for extreme conditions. Dietary supplements are perfect when a soldier needs to modify their diet or when there are periods of limited food consumption. Logistics of a mission may require special rations (of lighter volume and weight) and the right supplements can keep you working at top levels.
These extreme conditions may be in the form of physical exertion and mental stress. However, it could also be the result of extreme weather conditions and exposure to endemic and deliberate infectious threats. In all of these cases, dietary supplements are considered to enhance the body’s ability to respond physically and mentally to every situation. With a strengthened immune system and an ability to recover quickly from mental and physical changes; you are in better shape to carry out your mission.