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 Researchers analyzed data from active-duty male soldiers attending
the assessment and selection course for Army special forces, known
as Green Berets. They found that soldiers with higher Healthy Eating
Index (HEI) scores had higher physical performance scores and were
up to 75% more likely than those with the lowest diet-quality scores
to be chosen for the elite unit.
To join the U.S. Army Special Forces, soldier must complete a 19-20
day course known for its strenuous physical demands, with more than
half of participants dropping out before the end, according to the
research team, led by Emily Farina at the U.S. Army Research
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts.
Candidates often cite insufficient physical fitness as the reason
for their withdrawal, the study team notes.
During the course, the candidates get military rations, which
standardizes their diet. As a result, the authors point out, the
differences in what soldiers normally ate before the course may have
an impact on their physical performance during the testing.
The study used food frequency questionnaires to assess the usual
diets of 782 soldiers attending the course in 2015-2017. The HEI
score is calculated based on how closely the diet adheres to the
U.S. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with points for
consumption of healthy foods such as whole fruits, total vegetables,
protein foods, and deductions for high levels of sodium or saturated
fat, for example.
HEI scores range from zero to 100, with higher scores representing a
healthier diet.
Soldiers with high scores in physical fitness tests, such as sit-ups
and running, had significantly higher HEI scores, on average, than
worse-performing candidates, the authors report in Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise.
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Soldiers with the highest dietary scores tended to be over age 25,
nonsmokers, with some college education or a bachelor's degree, and
were likely to do more than 400 minutes a week of resistance
training like free weights or Olympic lifting.
There were no significant diet-quality differences among soldiers
based on time spent doing aerobic or high-intensity training, their
stamina, smokeless tobacco use, total calorie intake, officer or
enlisted status, or other factors.
The study wasn't designed to prove that diet quality was responsible
for physical performance or soldiers' odds of passing the course.
It's possible that diet quality reflects a healthier overall
lifestyle or greater fitness.
Still, the study authors note that the findings could be used to
provide guidelines to soldiers preparing for the course as well as
athletes preparing for events to enhance their performance.
The findings showcase the importance of diet and nutrition on
physical performance, said Sanford Nidich, director of the Center
for Social and Emotional Health at Maharishi University of
Management Research Institute in Fairfield, Iowa.
Nidich, who was not involved in the study, said in an email there is
also growing awareness that dietary intake is important for mental
health and overall behavior.
The study authors did not respond to a request for comment.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2lsDapF Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise, online September 16, 2019.
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