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Committee on Military Nutrition Research: Activity Report 1992-1994 (1994)
Institute of Medicine (IOM)

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. "SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RANGER TRAINING." Committee on Military Nutrition Research: Activity Report 1992-1994. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1994.

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Committee on Military Nutrition Research: Activity Report

Part III

Committee Recommendations and Areas for Future Research

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RANGER TRAINING

The CMNR is of the opinion that the data obtained on weight loss and body composition changes, alterations in immune function, and data on sleep and cognitive function from the Ranger I and II studies, offer unique insights into these changes in physiology and performance that may occur in previously well-nourished and physically-fit individuals. The demanding physical activity combined with limited food intake and limited sleep resulting in a 12-15% average weight loss in a period of about 9 weeks, provide data that would be very difficult to obtain other than in this military training setting. The researchers are commended for collecting this valuable data under demanding conditions. The Ranger Training Command is also to be commended for its interest in evaluating the health risks of this rigorous program designed for training future troop commanders.

The data from these studies are not only valuable for the military in coordinating programs, but also provide valuable insight into other medical conditions such as healthy individual subjected to severe trauma. The data may also provide information concerning populations of developing countries that are engaged in heavy physical work during periods of food shortages. We urge the publication of these and future studies in the peer-reviewed nutrition research literature so that they may be made widely available to others conducting research in related clinical nutrition fields.

  1. The committee recommends the evaluation of the effects of additional sleep (“catch-up”) and caloric intake during the course of the training program just prior to physically hazardous training exercises as well as sessions that include

Page
131
Front Matter (R1-R14)
Summary (1-2)
Background and Introduction (3-8)
The Relationship of Soldier Body Composition to Physical Performance (9-12)
Nutritional Requirements for Work in Hot Environments (13-16)
Military Nutrition Research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (17-22)
Military Recommended Dietary Allowances (23-26)
Project Review of the Nutritional Intervention Study of the Ranger Training Class, 11/92 (Ranger II) (27-30)
Military Nutrition Research in Historical Perspective (31-32)
Can Food Components Be Used to Enhance Soldier Performance? (33-36)
Underconsumption Field Rations: What Can Be Employed to this Problem of Military Strategies Overcome? (37-40)
Use of Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Solutions for Fluid Replacement (41-44)
Nutritional Requirements for Work in Cold and High Altitude Environments (45-48)
References (49-50)
Appendixes (51-52)
Appendix A Meetings of the Committee on Military Nutrition Research April 1, 1992–November 30, 1994 (53-56)
Appendix B Biographical Sketches of Members of the Committee on Military Nutrition Research April 1, 1992-November (57-66)
Appendix C Letter Report: Research Progress Review of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center Submitted May 1992 (67-76)
Appendix D Letter Military Review Proposals Nutrition of Three from the Biomedical Report: Committee on Research Research… (77-96)
Appendix E Conclusions and Recommendations from the Workshop Report: Body Composition and Physical Performance Submitted… (97-102)
Appendix F Conclusions and Recommendations from the Workshop Report: Nutritional Needs in Hot Environments Submitted March… (103-114)
Appendix G Conclusions and Recommendations from the Brief Report: Review of the Results of Nutritional Intervention, Ranger… (115-128)
CONCLUSION (129-130)
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RANGER TRAINING (131-131)
AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH (132-132)
Suggestions for Additional Analyses of the Ranger I and II Data (133-134)
Suggestions for Specific Future Studies of Ranger Training (135-135)
REFERENCES (136-136)
Appendix H Summary and Recommendations the Workshop Report: Fluid Replacement and Heat Stress, third printing Submitted… (137-144)
Appendix I Conclusions and Recommendations from the Workshop Report: Food Components to Enhance Performance Submitted May… (145-161)

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Committee on Military Nutrition Research: Activity Report Part III Committee Recommendations and Areas for Future Research SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RANGER TRAINING The CMNR is of the opinion that the data obtained on weight loss and body composition changes, alterations in immune function, and data on sleep and cognitive function from the Ranger I and II studies, offer unique insights into these changes in physiology and performance that may occur in previously well-nourished and physically-fit individuals. The demanding physical activity combined with limited food intake and limited sleep resulting in a 12-15% average weight loss in a period of about 9 weeks, provide data that would be very difficult to obtain other than in this military training setting. The researchers are commended for collecting this valuable data under demanding conditions. The Ranger Training Command is also to be commended for its interest in evaluating the health risks of this rigorous program designed for training future troop commanders. The data from these studies are not only valuable for the military in coordinating programs, but also provide valuable insight into other medical conditions such as healthy individual subjected to severe trauma. The data may also provide information concerning populations of developing countries that are engaged in heavy physical work during periods of food shortages. We urge the publication of these and future studies in the peer-reviewed nutrition research literature so that they may be made widely available to others conducting research in related clinical nutrition fields. The committee recommends the evaluation of the effects of additional sleep (“catch-up”) and caloric intake during the course of the training program just prior to physically hazardous training exercises as well as sessions that include