Food and water are fuel in every aspect of life. What and how much we eat matters throughout our lives, from providing energy to tackle daily tasks to providing the nutrients we need to heal and grow stronger. The importance of this can be seen during long training hours when you can no longer continue your training due to low blood sugar or suffer from heat.
The quickest way to end your training day is to appear dehydrated and underfueled. Fueling and hydrating before, during and after long training days will keep you in the game, but how much do we need?
If you intend to serve in demanding military training programs, preparing for the rigors of military physical testing and training requires optimal nutrition, hydration, and recovery. What you eat and drink is the most critical, yet often overlooked aspect of improving your ability to cope with long days and nights of physical and mental stress. Understanding and estimating your daily calorie needs depends primarily on your age, gender and activity level. Proper calorie intake not only fuels your workouts, but also aids your recovery, making your workout effective and sustainable.
As you prepare for military training, you are not an ordinary athlete. Your regimen will likely push you to the limit: cardio exercises, strength training, long walks with heavy loads, and obstacle courses that test every muscle and nerve. As a result, your calorie needs are significantly higher than the average person. Here’s how to determine how much food and water you need each day to maintain a high level of activity:
Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions at rest. BMR will give you a good start and average the number of calories you burn each day just by living. There are a variety of calculators available online to help you estimate this based on age, gender, weight and height, such as those from Calculator.net. I prefer this because it also easily shows the level of activity you can add to your day and adjusts the total calories needed for each day.
For example, if you are a 25-year-old male who weighs 180 pounds and stands 6 feet tall, your BMR might hover around 1,839 calories per day. However, if you exercise every day or have a physical job, the calories needed to maintain your weight and performance will be up to 3,173 calories per day.
If you want to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) Based on your BMR, Here’s how you can do it. Factor in your activity level, which can be categorized as sedentary (x 1.2), moderately active (x 1.55), or very active (x 1.725). Given that you’re preparing for something as strenuous as military training, you’ll probably fall into the “very active” category. Multiplying your BMR by an activity factor (usually around 1.725 for very active individuals) will give you an estimate for your TDEE.
Using our previous example, this works out to approximately 3,105 calories per day. As you can see, online calculators and common BMR/TDEE factors give similar estimates of the total amount of calories a person needs to perform at their best (and maintain a healthy body weight).
If you want to lose weight, you reduce these total calories by 500 per day for a half-pound weight loss each week. You can add 500 calories to these points to gain one pound of mass each week. Therefore, you should consider the amount of activity you add to your day to determine how much you need to eat to gain or lose weight.
As noted, these are ballpark calculations and real-world scenarios may differ from these figures. Your actual calorie needs may fluctuate depending on the intensity and duration of your exercise sessions. It is recommended that you keep a weekly food diary, tracking your food, water and calorie intake, and noting your energy levels, sleep quality and overall performance. I use food scales from Greater Goods, which creates a food label for the food you weigh.
If you constantly feel tired or have trouble completing workouts, this may be a sign that you need to increase your calorie intake. If you don’t, you’re just guessing, and when it comes to your future professional opportunities, you can’t afford to skip evaluation and guessing.
The quality of calories is as important as the quantity. Good food options are always the best option. Aim for a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Avoid overly processed foods as you need good fuel for high-intensity workouts; Endurance training depletes your glycogen stores, ensuring higher carbohydrate intake and quality. At the same time, the addition of solid proteins also aids in muscle recovery and growth, which is essential for the strength and endurance required in military operations. Good fats will also provide a solid calorie and energy boost, especially when days turn to night and energy needs for thermal regulation (body temperature) increase.
Hydration cannot be overstated. Even slightly dehydrated people can have adverse effects on their physical performance and cognitive function; Both of these are very important in training and on the field. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, not just during your workouts. When you sweat a lot, cramp, add electrolytes; Without water and salt, the potential for heat-related illness will increase rapidly every hour in the heat. The quickest way to end your military training is by not properly hydrating/replenishing electrolytes. You can also die if the person affected by the heat gets heatstroke.
Long, hard training days burn a lot of calories on a daily basis, especially with constant exposure to cold air and water. Adding calorie-dense foods at the end of the day or between snacks is key to maintaining performance. Foods like peanut butter, nuts, avocados, and protein bars can help, while supplements like protein shakes can be helpful but shouldn’t replace whole foods. However, supplements are not allowed in most military training programs. Think of supplements as tools in your nutritional arsenal, rather than as a staple during your prep workout period. Especially in military selection training, real food should be the first choice.
Finally, consult a nutritionist familiar with athletic and military needs to create a plan specific to your body and training goals. While online calculators and general advice are useful starting points, a professional can offer information tailored to your unique physiology and regimen. The key is to avoid missing out on vital nutrients by making food choices. A nutritionist can help you avoid this costly mistake.
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