Military Nutrition Research.
Abstract:
The Committee on Military Nutrition Research was established under the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Councils Commission on Life Sciences at the request of the Assistant Surgeon General of the Army. The Committees task was to advise on the need for and the conduct of nutrition research and related issues for the U.S. Department of Defense. The Committee was asked to identify nutritional factors that may critically influence the physical and mental performance of military personnel under all environmental extremes to identify deficiencies in the existing data base to recommend approaches to study the relationship of diet to physical and mental performance and to review and advise on nutritional standards for military feeding systems. The Committee identified and provided recommendations on the following four priority military nutrition issues 1 cognitive testing methods in military nutrition research 2 prediction of the effects of energy and water deficits on military performance 3 methods for improving hydration under environmental stress, and 4 surveillance of nutrients in operational rations. The report includes a bibliography with abstracts of over 100 scientific publications on energy and water requirements under conditions pertinent to military operations.