Dietary Intake and Nitrogen Balance in British Army Infantry Recruits Undergoing Basic Training

Chapman, Shaun; Rawcliffe, Alex J; Izard, Rachel; Jacka, Kimberley; Tyson, Hayley; Smıth, Lee; Roberts, Justin

doi:10.3390/nu12072125

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…One potential driver of the variability in response in the CHO group is that protein intake from diet alone was adequate to maximize the FFM response to IET. Previous work in British IET, suggests that nitrogen balance can be attained, at least in the initial weeks, by consumption of 1.5 g/kg/day of protein intake ( 53 ). Additionally, a meta-analysis summarizing the literature on supplementation in strenuous military environments suggested protein intakes between 1.7 and 2.2 g/kg/day are recommended ( 51 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whey Protein Supplementation Effects on Body Composition, Performance, and Blood Biomarkers During Army Initial Entry Training

et al. 2022

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This study assesses if a lower dose of whey protein can provide similar benefits to those shown in previous work supplementing Army Initial Entry Training (IET) Soldiers with two servings of whey protein (WP) per day. Eighty-one soldiers consumed one WP or a calorie matched carbohydrate (CHO) serving/day during IET (WP: n = 39, height = 173 ± 8 cm, body mass = 76.8 ± 12.8 kg, age = 21 ± 3 years; CHO: n = 42, 175 ± 8 cm, 77.8 ± 15.3 kg, 23 ± 4 years). Physical performance (push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run) was assessed during weeks two and eight. All other measures (dietary intake, body composition, blood biomarkers) at weeks one and nine. There was a significant group difference for fat mass (p = 0.044) as WP lost 2.1 ± 2.9 kg and had a moderate effect size (Cohen's d: −0.24), whereas the CHO group lost 0.9 ± 2.5 kg and had only a small effect size (d: −0.1). There was no significant group-by-time interaction on fat-free mass (p = 0.069). WP gained 1.2 ± 2.4 (d: 0.1) and CHO gained 0.1 ± 3 (d: 0) kg of FFM on average. There was a significant group by week 1-fat free mass interaction (p = 0.003) indicating individuals with higher initial fat-free mass benefitted more from WP. There were no group differences for push-up (p = 0.514), sit-up (p = 0.429) or run (p = 0.313) performance. For all biomarkers there was a significant effect of time as testosterone (p < 0.01), testosterone to cortisol ratio (p = 0.39), and IGF-1 (p < 0.01) increased across training and cortisol (p = 0.04) and IL-6 (p < 0.01) decreased. There were no differences in groups across IET for any of the biomarkers. We conclude one WP serving is beneficial for FM and for FFM in soldiers with high baseline FFM but may not significantly alter biomarker response or physical performance of IET soldiers who have high relative dietary protein intakes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whey Protein Supplementation Effects on Body Composition, Performance, and Blood Biomarkers During Army Initial Entry Training

et al. 2022

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“…NB was determined using the standard nitrogen balance equation below [13], with other miscellaneous nitrogen excretion assumed to be 4 g/day [14].…”

Section: Nitrogen Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Whey Versus Almond Protein Powder on Nitrogen Balance in Female College Students; The California Almond Protein Powder Project (CAlmond-P3)

Maykish

Nishisaka

Talbott

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular in the past decade, with approximately 11% of Americans self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian and many others trying to reduce meat consumption. Due to increasing interest, the plant-based food market has significantly expanded, with several innovative products serving as alternatives to animal-based products. One such example is almond protein powder, a new protein supplement created as an alternative to whey protein. Due to the novelty of almond protein products, little is known regarding how well the protein supplement supports nitrogen metabolism. The effects of both an almond-based protein beverage and a whey-based protein beverage on nitrogen balance are investigated in the work presented herein. Twenty female college students aged 20–25 years were randomly assigned to consume either an almond- or whey-based protein drink twice daily for one week; 24-h urine collection was performed at the baseline and endpoint of the 7-day treatment period and nitrogen balance was assessed. Body composition and hydration status were also assessed. Both protein sources (almond and whey) were able to notably improve nitrogen balance, thus indicating that almond protein powder may be a functional plant-based alternative to whey protein powder and may be of interest in future research regarding muscle mass and body composition improvement.

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“…It was hypothesised that protein supplementation would improve muscular strength [i.e., mid-thigh pull (primary variable)] and FFM (secondary variable) in a dose-response manner. (1,4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The habitual protein intake of recruits has been observed to be below the current recommendations for military training (1.5–2.0 g·kg −1 ·day −1 ) ( 3 ). It has also been established that urinary nitrogen balance (which estimates whole-body protein balance) tends to decline throughout BT ( p = 0.07) suggesting negative protein balance and sub-optimal protein intakes ( 4 ). This, in part, could infer that higher protein intakes result in sustained or positive nitrogen balance, which is pertinent to support skeletal muscle adaptation ( 5–8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-sleep protein supplementation does not improve performance, body composition, and recovery in British Army recruits (part 1)

Chapman,

Roberts,

Roberts

et al. 2023

Front. Nutr.

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Dietary protein is crucial for optimising physical training adaptations such as muscular strength and mass, which are key aims for athletic populations, including British Army recruits. New recruits fail to meet the recommended protein intake during basic training (BT), with negligible amounts consumed in the evening. This study assessed the influence of a daily bolus of protein prior to sleep on performance adaptations, body composition and recovery in British Army recruits. 99 men and 23 women [mean ± standard deviation (SD): age: 21.3 ± 3.5 years, height: 174.8 ± 8.4 cm, body mass 75.4 ± 12.2 kg] were randomised into a dietary control (CON), carbohydrate placebo (PLA), moderate (20 g) protein (MOD) or high (60 g) protein (HIGH) supplementation group. Supplements were isocaloric and were consumed on weekday evenings between 2000 and 2100 for 12 weeks during BT. Performance tests (mid-thigh pull, medicine ball throw, 2 km run time, maximal push-up, and maximal vertical jump) and body composition were assessed at the start and end of BT. Dietary intake, energy expenditure, salivary hormones, urinary nitrogen balance, perceived muscle soreness, rating of perceived exertion, mood, and fatigue were assessed at the start, middle and end of BT. Protein supplementation increased protein intake in HIGH (2.16 ± 0.50 g⸱kg−1⸱day−1) and MOD (1.71 ± 0.48 g⸱kg−1⸱day−1) compared to CON (1.17 ± 0.24 g⸱kg−1⸱day−1) and PLA (1.31 ± 0.29 g⸱kg−1⸱day−1; p < 0.001). Despite this, there was no impact of supplementation on mid-thigh pull performance (CON = 7 ± 19%, PLA = 7 ± 19%, MOD = 0 ± 16%, and HIGH = 4 ± 14%; p = 0.554) or any other performance measures (p > 0.05). Fat-free mass changes were also similar between groups (CON = 4 ± 3%, PLA = 4 ± 4%, MOD = 3 ± 3%, HIGH = 5 ± 4%, p = 0.959). There was no impact of protein supplementation on any other body composition or recovery measure. We conclude no benefits of pre-bed protein supplementation to improve performance, body composition and recovery during BT. It is possible the training stimulus was great enough, limiting the impact of protein supplementation. However, the high degree of inter-participant variability suggests an individualised use of protein supplementation should be explored, particularly in those who consume sub-optimal (<1.6 g⸱kg−1⸱day−1) habitual amounts of protein.Clinical trial registration: The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. national institutes (identifier: NCT05998590).

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Dietary Intake and Nitrogen Balance in British Army Infantry Recruits Undergoing Basic Training

Cited by 10 publications

References 55 publications

Whey Protein Supplementation Effects on Body Composition, Performance, and Blood Biomarkers During Army Initial Entry Training

Whey Protein Supplementation Effects on Body Composition, Performance, and Blood Biomarkers During Army Initial Entry Training

Comparison of Whey Versus Almond Protein Powder on Nitrogen Balance in Female College Students; The California Almond Protein Powder Project (CAlmond-P3)

Pre-sleep protein supplementation does not improve performance, body composition, and recovery in British Army recruits (part 1)

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