Transcript Use of dietary supplements by UK Service personnel

Use of dietary supplements by UK Service personnel
Energy requirements depend on an individual’s level of
physical activity will vary from day to day, and from task to
task. A diet that provides adequate energy from a wide range
of foods can meet the carbohydrate, protein, fat and
micronutrient requirements of physical training and
operations. Food provided by the MOD is scientifically
researched and designed to provide the daily dietary intake
required to sustain service personnel in all military
environments. There is evidence that soldiers predominantly
dependant on Operational Ration Packs (ORP)
supplemented by limited quantities of frozen meat and fresh
vegetables, in the harsh operational environment of Sangin,
suffered no degradation in physical performance over the 6
month period of the deployment. In general, short-term
energy restriction involving minimal loss of body mass has
little effect on performance or health in otherwise healthy
individuals. Losses of body mass in the region of 6 – 10% or
higher have been shown to impair performance in a military
setting, although this is not a consistent observation.
In the UK, the HFL Sports Science2 owned “Informed-Sport
programme” was set up with the support of UK Anti-Doping
(UKAD) to evaluate the process integrity of supplement
manufacturers and to screen supplements and ingredients for
contamination. Products that have passed this screening
process can be found at www.informed-sport.com
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Dietary supplements should not be used to compensate for poor
food choices and an inadequate diet where a choice exists, but
dietary supplements that provide additional energy and / or
essential nutrients may be useful when food intake or food
choices are restricted for reasons including operational
constraints, travel, and periods when preparation and / or
consumption of adequate meals is not possible or desirable. The
use of dietary supplements in such instances would reduce the
risk of developing nutrient deficiencies that could impair both
health and performance.
A small number of dietary supplements may enhance
performance when used in accordance with current evidence
under the guidance of a well-informed professional,3 and / or
using MOD approved supporting guidance written by experts in
the area. Suitable professionals include registered nutritionists,
registered dieticians, and other professionals with recognised
expertise in performance-related nutrition. Service personnel
contemplating the use of dietary supplements should consider
their efficacy, their cost, the risk to health and performance, and
the potential for a positive CDT. The use of multiple dietary
supplements at one time (stacking) should be discouraged.
Dietary supplement use by children (i.e. individuals under 18
years of age) should also be discouraged.