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Many people have contributed to this revised guide, and it is difficult to list all those who have made small contributions. However, we
must acknowledge those who have made major contributions. First, we
thank LtCol Charity Thomasos, RD, USAF for her comments and suggestions on multiple chapters and her efforts on chapters 11 and 12. We
thank our primary points for contact at the SOF Commands who arranged
and coordinated our site visits, to include LCDR David C. Krulak, MC
from MARSOC, MAJ(P) Anthony Littrell, MC, USA from USASOC, LTC
Robert Lutz, MC, USA from JSOC, MAJ Keith E. Schlechte, MC, USAF from
AFSOC, and CDR Lanny Boswell, MSC, USN from NAVSOC. We offer a very
special thanks to LCDR Jim Mucciarone, MC, UMO/DMO, Senior Medical
Officer for Naval Special Warfare, who provided invaluable feedback on the
chapters. We recognize MAJ Dirk Geers, Special Operations and Personnel
Recovery Office in Belgium, who used the previous Navy SEAL Guide and
posed many questions before the new guide was begun and provided excellent comments based on his use of the information for deployments. We also
thank CAPT Roger Herbert, Commander of NSW Training who spent time
discussing the importance of nutrition to BUD/S training. Ms. Jennifer Davis
is recognized and thanked for her dedication to the Excel spreadsheets that
were developed specifically for this effort—she did a wonderful job. In addition,
we thank Mike Bottoms, Editor, Tip of the Spear.
We wish to thank USSOCOM for sorting through and sending us pictures for use in the SOF Guide. Also CAPT Pete Van Hooser for his recommendations and efforts in securing quotations from the SOF community.
Lastly, we recognize and thank all the persons at USSOCOM who were
instrumental in the administration of this effort for their patience over
the course of the project: COL Rocky Farr, Mr. Robert Clayton, Mr. David
Saren, and Mr. Thomas Hindes.
Dr. Patricia Deuster, PhD, MPH, CNS, is a Professor and Scientific
Director for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the
Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in the F. Edward Hébert School
of Medicine in Bethesda MD. She was the author of the first US Navy
SEAL Nutrition Guide sponsored by US Special Operations Command,
and because of its success, was commissioned to update the nutrition
guide for the United States Special Operations Commands (USSOCOM).
Dr. Deuster, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, has conducted research in the
area of sports and warrior nutrition for over 25 years and has published
well over 100 peer-reviewed papers relating to stress, nutrition, physical
performance in the military. She has been a tennis professional, nationally
ranked marathoner, qualifier for the First Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, triathlete, sky diver with over 100 jumps, and world wide scuba diver.
In addition, she is an invited speaker throughout the country on sports nutrition and performance. Her dedication to sports, nutrition, and scientific
endeavors, and her long-term relationship with the USSOCOM make her
uniquely qualified to oversee this revision of the SOF Nutrition Guide.
Dr. Teresa Kemmer, PhD, RD, U.S. Army Retired, is currently an Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Hospitality,
South Dakota State University (SDSU), Brookings, SD. Dr. Kemmer has
provided consultative nutrition services to warrior athletes throughout her
career and brought recognition to the importance of the military’s role in
nutrition assessments and therapy in support of Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations. She designed and executed nutrition
assessment research/support programs in Honduras, the refugee camps
along the Thailand/Burma border, American Samoa, and rural villages in
Thailand. She assisted in the design and implementation of the ongoing
training program for the San Antonio Military Pediatric Center (SAMPC)
Residency Program in Honduras. She incorporated a research base into
the training program to ensure that data obtained was valid and could be
used by the Honduran Ministry of Health (MoH) and governmental and
nongovernmental organizations to establish policy and programs. Today,
this training program continues to be executed three times a year within
the remote areas of Honduras in collaboration with the Honduran MoH,
Joint Task Force Bravo Medical Element, SAMPC, military dietitians, and
SDSU. She has not only been instrumental in international nutrition research initiatives but has designed and taught classes to ensure dietitians
and other medical professionals are prepared to recognize and manage
macro- and micronutrient deficiencies common in developing countries.
Lori Tubbs, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, has been working in the field of health
promotion and sports nutrition with the Naval Special Warfare community
for the past nine years. She is a registered dietitian (RD) and a certified speAuthors
iii
cialist in sports dietetics (CSSD) and strength and conditioning (CSCS). She
currently works with the SEAL community and has been tasked to initiate a
human performance program that includes full time nutrition support. She
has worked as the nutrition program manager for Navy-wide health promotion and is a subject matter expert in sports nutrition for Navy Environmental
Health Center (NEHC). She has conducted training in nutrition and wellness
globally for Navy personnel, and has deployed on several aircraft carriers
and smaller ships to support the Navy fleet. An environmental nutrition appraisal called Choosing Healthier Options for Wellness (CHOW) developed
in 2005 was used to assess healthy foods available on military bases for
service members, beneficiaries and contract workers. Her other initiatives
include the “Healthy Alternative” Navy vending program and the SEAL Recovery Meal Program. Lori is an avid year-round athlete who has competed
in several triathlons throughout the United States, to include Ironman Lake
Placid, along with numerous marathons and outrigger canoeing. She credits
most of her success to support and advocacy by many military leaders for
making the military a better environment nutritionally. Commodore/CAPT
Pete VanHooser, a Navy SEAL, has been influential in supporting the nutrition component of human performance for the SEAL community.
Ms. Stacey Zeno, MS, is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. with a Masters of Science in Health Promotion Management.
She supervises the Human Performance Laboratory at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in the Department of Military and
Emergency Medicine. In addition, she is a certified personal trainer who
works with recreational and club sport athletes. Ms. Zeno frequently delivers seminars on nutrition and works closely with female and male athletes
who have eating disorders. Sports have always been a passion and a key
component of her life. She has participated in track and field as well as
tennis, but is currently active with softball and weight lifting.
Christiane Minnick, BFA, MAc, spent over twelve years working as
a communications design professional in the fields of graphic design, advertising, and marketing. In 2003, she enrolled at Tai Sophia Institute for
the Healing Arts and graduated in 2007 as a Master of Acupuncture. Now
a licensed acupuncturist, she is building her private practice in downtown
Silver Spring, Maryland. Christiane believes there is a connection between
graphic design and acupuncture: in both fields, a holistic approach—one
which emphasizes not just numerous disparate pieces of information,
but how that information adds up to create and transcend the whole —is
crucial when developing a plan for a design project or an acupuncture
treatment. Just as a visual solution must emerge from this information to
form an identity or a message, so must those in health professions note
the themes and core beliefs that run through each person’s own human
experience (presented as information on a physical, emotional, social, or
spiritual level) to identify what may be contributing to their disharmony.
Christiane has a long-standing interest in the myriad ways, which includes
nutrition, a person can influence their own health and wellness, and wishes
to thank Patricia Deuster for the opportunity to work on this project.
iv
Executive Summary
1 The Warrior Athlete
Special Operations Forces (SOF) are “Warrior Athletes,” the ultimate athlete. The physical and mental
demands imposed by SOF training and missions require
appropriate nutritional habits and interventions so that,
under the most rigorous conditions, performance is
optimized, and health is preserved.
This chapter serves as an introduction to the specialized needs of SOF and the information to be presented
in The Special Operations Forces Nutrition Guide.
2 Balancing the Energy Tank
• Balancing energy intake and expenditure can be
difficult when activity levels are very high and also
when activity levels are very low, such as during
isolation.
• Typically, body weight remains constant when
energy intake equals expenditure.
• To lose or gain one pound of weight, 3,500 calories
must be expended or consumed.
• Calculating Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and
the intensity of daily activities gives an accurate
estimate of how much energy an operator might
expend in one day.
• The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a clinical tool for
assessing body fat composition and classifies individuals into underweight, normal, overweight, and
obese categories.
3 Fueling the Human Weapon
• Carbohydrates (CHO) are the vital fuel for endurance and resistance activities, competitive athletic
events, mental agility, and healthy living.
• Fats, the primary form of stored energy, are essential, but should be eaten in moderation.
• Proteins are essential for building and repairing body
tissues; however, excess protein is converted to fat.
• Restore fluid balance by taking in enough liquids to
replenish weight (pounds) lost plus an additional 25%.
• Performance decrements begin when only 2% of
body weight has been lost.
4 High Performance Catalysts
• Vitamin and mineral needs can be met by eating a
variety of foods.
• Vitamin-mineral supplements do not provide energy.
• Vitamin-mineral supplementation is warranted only
when energy balance is not met through the diet.
• Mega-dosing on vitamins and minerals can be detrimental to health and performance.
• Foods naturally high in antioxidants (fresh and
colorful foods) should be eaten daily.
5 Nutrient Timing and Training
• The timing of nutrient delivery is critical to sustaining performance.
• The Refueling Interval (RFI) is the 45 minutes after
finishing a workout.
• Eating during the RFI will accelerate recovery and
restore energy for the next day’s workout.
• A daily diet that is balanced and nutrient-dense will
ensure better performance and optimal recovery.
• CHO foods and beverages that have a moderate to
high glycemic index, such as sport drinks, raisins,
honey, bananas or potatoes are ideal recovery foods.
• Adding protein to the recovery meal will help
stimulate protein synthesis to assist in rebuilding
muscle (anabolism).
• For exercise longer than 90 minutes, consume 50
v
grams of CHO and 12 grams of protein as food or
drink immediately during the RFI and 50 grams of
CHO every 2 hours for 6 hours.
• Adequate fluids must be ingested after a mission.
• Fluid replacement beverages should contain sodium and potassium.
• Sports bars, gels and drinks are lightweight, portable and easy to eat during SOF operations.
6 Optimal Choices for Home Chow
• Foods eaten at home can impact mission performance.
• Smart shopping is the first step towards healthy
meal preparation.
• Most recipes can be modified to improve nutrient
composition.
• Use nutrition labels as a guide for making smart
food choices.
• Every meal is important for overall health and
performance.
• Aim for as many servings of fruits and vegetables
as possible.
7 Optimal Choices for Eating Out
• Not all restaurants are equal. Choose wisely.
• Eating out can be healthy if careful meal selections
are made.
• Selecting fruits and vegetables as a part of the
meal adds vitamins, minerals and fiber, and helps
reduce fat and calories.
• Fast food restaurants have healthy alternatives to
the high-fat burger and fries. Make sensible food
choices.
8 Healthy Snacking
• Snacking, or “eating between regular meals,” is
important to help maximize performance and
maintain mental and physical acumen.
• Healthy snacks can help increase energy and
alertness without promoting weight gain.
• Keep nutrient dense snacks at home, work, or “on
the go.”
• Snacks for night operations should include foods
low in carbohydrate and high in protein.
• Snacks high in water, such as fruit, are great for warm
weather operations.
• Snacks high in carbohydrate are good to consume
when exercising in the cold.
• Avoid high-fat snacks during special operations.
9 Secrets to Keeping Lean
as a Fighting Machine
• Consumption of carbohydrate (CHO) in defined
amounts is the most important fuel strategy for all
forms of exercise.
• Depletion of glycogen stores will result in poor
performance in the weight room and endurance
training sessions, such as a pack run.
• Improper nutrient intake and low muscle glycogen
stores may increase the risk of musculoskeletal
injuries.
• CHO ingestion improves the use of amino acids
when they are ingested together.
• Drinking too much plain water can pose performance pitfalls during prolonged missions/exercise
sessions that involve constant movement.
• Individual food preferences should be determined
to avoid gastrointestinal distress during training
and operations.
10 Bulking Up
• Proper and consistent strength training, adequate
rest and a balanced diet will provide the lasting edge
when it comes to building strength and muscle mass.
• Eating a wide variety of foods and matching energy intake with energy output will provide optimal
nutrition for building muscle.
• All operators require no more than 1 gram of protein
vi
per pound of body weight per day.
• Adequate amounts of fluids are vital to muscle
metabolism and contractility.
• Spend money on “real” foods, not supplements
and protein powders.
11 Looking for the Edge–
Dietary Supplements
• SOCOM has a no dietary supplement (DS) policy—
check with medical.
• DS sold on military installations are not always
safe, effective or legal.
• Manufacturers of DS are not required to conduct
research on safety or effectiveness. The Food and
Drug Administration must prove a product is unsafe before it can be taken off the market.
• If you use DS, select high quality products with
USP (United States Pharmacopeia) certification labels. The label assures consumers that the product
has been tested and verified in terms of its ingredients and manufacturing process.
• Combining and stacking of DS increases the potential for undesired and unsafe side effects.
• Energy drinks are not regulated and the long-term
effects of their combined ingredients are unknown.
12 Enemy Agents
• All tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco,
are addictive, and can cause cardiovascular damage and various forms of cancer.
• Alcohol, in excess, can lead to dehydration and
compromise performance. Do not mix drugs and
alcohol: beware of alcohol-drug interactions.
• Over-the-counter drugs, such as antihistamines,
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and aspirin
should be used in moderation and under a physician’s care if being used for long-term therapy.
• NSAIDs should not be used during deployments
because they make bleeding difficult to control.
• Steroids and steroid alternatives are illegal and
unsafe; they can seriously harm the body and negatively affect performance.
13 Combat Rations
• Combat rations are specially designed to supply
adequate energy and nutrients for particular types
of missions.
• Environmental and operational dictate changes in
combat rations to meet nutritional needs.
• Rations provide different amounts of energy to
meet the needs of various operational conditions.
• Some rations have been designed to meet strict
religious diets.
• Commercial products are available to supplement
military rations and/or allow for greater diversity
and choice for eating when deployed.
14 Eating Globally
• Be aware of cultural differences including types of
food and proper eating utensils.
• Avoid foodborne illnesses by taking extra precautions: stay away from typical foods associated with
foodborne illnesses.
• Make wise food and beverage selections when eating on the economy.
• Drinking contaminated water may severely affect
your health: purify your water!
• Carry Pepto-Bismol and seek medical treatment for
symptoms from contaminated foods or beverages.
15 Mission Nutrition for
Combat Effectiveness
• Inadequate energy intake and/or dehydration can
result in fatigue and impaired performance during
combat.
• Improper eating and sleeping due to all night and
high op-tempo missions can be detrimental to
overall health.
vii
• Eating before night operations should be planned
accordingly to prevent fatigue.
• Various environmental exposures (i.e. heat, cold, and
altitude) can alter combat effectiveness if nutritional
needs and hydration are not met appropriately.
• Energy and fluid requirements are typically higher
than normal during combat and combat-simulated
scenarios.
16 Returning to Home Base
• Rest and rejuvenation should be emphasized upon
return from deployment to re-optimize mental and
physical performance.
• A good night of sleep in a comfortable bed and dark
room is essential for recovering from deployments.
• A balanced diet high in complex carbohydrates,
such as vegetables, fruit and whole grains, can
enhance stress resistance.
• Good nutrition and regular exercise are excellent
antidotes to stress.
• Avoid binge eating and drinking upon returning
from deployments. Excess food and alcohol intakes
can lead to unwanted weight gain and is detrimental to overall health.
17 The High Mileage SOF Warrior
• Try to maintain weight minimize weight cycling—
multiple episodes of weight loss.
• Pain from arthritis can be reduced by choosing
healthy foods and foods high in anti-inflammatory
compounds.
• NSAIDs should be used on a very limited basis.
• Foods, not supplements, should be the primary
source of nutrients. Food is the best and cheapest
way to take in essential nutrients.
• The risks of developing hypertension, coronary
heart disease, diabetes, and cancer increase with
age. Eating the right type of foods can limit risk
factors associated with these chronic diseases.
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