An Cosantóir

27 • Fuel performance: will generally be combined with one of the other three in active individuals. The most convenient way to track your energy intake nowadays is with a dietary tracking app, such as MyFitnessPal for example. You simply install the app on your device, input height, weight, age, gender, activity level, goal (gain, maintain, or lose weight), and the app will estimate your daily energy requirement. It is then up to you to input your daily energy intake, through scanning barcodes on food packaging and entering weights or portions consumed. The app will immediately upload the nutritional information for each entry, with caloric value and a breakdown of macronutrient percentages and weights. This requires a certain amount of discipline daily; however, it shouldn't take long to get into a routine. You can update your weight and physical activity each day, and some fitness trackers will connect with the app, updating energy intake, step counts etc. Of course, as a member of the Defence Forces, tracking your energy intake is not always possible, as there are times (courses, training, overseas, duties) when you cannot prepare your own food, however it is beneficial otherwise when committed to reaching a nutritional goal. Losing excess weight: As a P.T.I. being involved in fitness testing, I regularly deal with personnel who struggle with their weight, and as a result fail their body mass index test, and also the subsequent skinfold caliper test, and, as a P.T.I. I am sometimes tasked with providing a training programme for personnel in this situation. However, exercise, or physical activity alone will not be sufficient in dealing with excess body fat. The ideal solution is a gradual reduction in caloric intake, combined with a progressive increase in physical activity, both unstructured basic daily activities (NEAT), e.g., walking, and structured exercise. The emphasis on gradual is important here. Sudden large caloric deficits can lead to adaptations that can be counter-productive in the long term, resulting in regaining weight beyond baseline levels, as well as inducing undesired loss of fat free mass (muscle), according to Trexler et al (2014). For this reason, they suggest using the smallest deficit that is necessary to lead to Current DF 24 Hr ration pack. noticeable weight loss, and adjusting as required over time as weight loss begins to level off. In order to further limit loss of muscle while in a caloric deficit, as well as reduce cravings, it is also advisable to engage in structured resistance training, while ensuring sufficient intake of protein. If you begin using a dietary tracker app in order to help you lose weight, a good idea might be to input your current daily intake initially before attempting to drastically reduce it, thereby getting a good indication of how much of a caloric surplus you are in, then gradually reducing it over time, while increasing activity. Even something as simple as reducing portion sizes, rather than completely cutting out certain foods, will have a very beneficial impact. Slow and steady will indeed win the race. References: 1. Burke, L.M., Hawley, J.A., Wong, S.H.S., Jeukendrup, A.E. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and nutrition. Journal of Sports Sciences: 29 (S1): S17-S27. 2. Hannon, M.P., Unnithan, V., Morton, J.P., Close, G.L. (2020). Nutritional strategies to support young athletes. Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application 2nd Edition: 15: 300-335. Routledge. 3. Jenner, S.L., Buckley, G.L., Belski, R., Devlin, B.L., Forsyth, A.K. (2019). Dietary intakes of professional and semi-professional team sport athletes do not meet sport nutrition recommendations—A systematic literature review. Nutrients: 11(5):1160. 4. Kenney, W.L., Wilmore, J.H., Costill, D.L. (2015). Fuel for exercise: Bioenergetics and muscle metabolism. Physiology of Sport and Exercise 6th Edition: 2: 51-72. Human Kinetics. 5. Kenney, W.L., Wilmore, J.H., Costill, D.L. (2015). Body composition and nutrition for sport. Physiology of Sport and Exercise 6th Edition: 15: 369-406. Human Kinetics. 6. O'Leary, T.J., Wardle, S.L., Greeves, J.P. (2020). Energy deficiency in soldiers: The risk of the athlete triad and relative energy deficiency in sport syndromes in the military. Frontiers in Nutrition. 7:142 7. Tharion, W.J., Lieberman, H.R., Montain, S.J., Young, A.J., Baker- Fulco, C.J., Delany, J.P., Hoyt, R.W. (2005). Energy requirements of military personnel. Appetite. Feb;44(1):47-65 8. Thomas, D.T., Erdman, K.A., Burke, L.M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint position statement. Nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise: 48(3):543-568. 9. Trexler, E.T., Smith-Ryan, A.E., Norton, L.E. (2014). Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: Implications for the athlete. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: 11:7. 10. Westerterp, K.R. (2004). Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutrition and Metabolism 1(5). BioMed Central. 11. Williams, C., Rollo, I. 2015. Carbohydrate Nutrition and Team Sport Performance. Sports Medicine: 45: 13-22. 12. Wolgemuth, K.J., Arieta, L.R., Brewer, G.J., Hoselton A.L., Gould, L.M., Smith-Ryan, A.E. (2021). Sex differences and considerations for specific nutritional strategies: a narrative review. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: 18:27. FUELLING THE NATION

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