Effects of deployment on diet quality and nutritional status markers of elite U.S. Army special operations forces soldiers

• Published in: Nutrition journal 2017-07, Vol.16 (1), p.41-41, Article 41
• Main Authors: Farina, Emily K, Taylor, Jonathan C, Means, Gary E, Murphy, Nancy E, Pasiakos, Stefan M, Lieberman, Harris R, McClung, James P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Adult; Armed forces; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Calcium; Calcium (dietary); Calcium, Dietary - administration & dosage; Calcium, Dietary - blood; Calories; Cholesterol - blood; Cognitive ability; Dairy products; Diet; Dietary intake; Female; Ferritin; Ferritins - blood; Food intake; Food Quality; Fruit; Fruits; Glucose; Health aspects; Healthy eating index; Hepcidins - blood; Humans; Iron; Iron deficiency; Iron, Dietary - administration & dosage; Iron, Dietary - blood; Lipids; Male; Meals; Military; Military deployment; Military Personnel; Military training; Milk; Nutrients; Nutrition & Dietetics; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition research; Nutritional Status; Parathyroid; Parathyroid hormone; Parathyroid Hormone - blood; Receptors, Transferrin - blood; Socioeconomic Factors; Soldiers; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transferrins; Triglycerides - blood; Vegetables; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D - blood
• ISSN: 1475-2891; 1475-2891
• DOI: 10.1186/s12937-017-0262-5

Special Operations Forces (SOF) Soldiers deploy frequently and require high levels of physical and cognitive performance. Nutritional status is linked to cognitive and physical performance. Studies evaluating dietary intake and nutritional status in deployed environments are lacking. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of combat deployment on diet quality and serum concentrations of nutritional status markers, including iron, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), glucose, and lipids, among elite United States (U.S.) Army SOF Soldiers. Changes from baseline to post-deployment were determined with a repeated measure within-subjects design for Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) scores, intake of foods, food groups, key nutrients, and serum nutritional status markers. Dietary intake was assessed with a Block Food Frequency Questionnaire. The association between post-deployment serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH vitamin D) and PTH was determined. Analyses of serum markers were completed on 50 participants and analyses of dietary intake were completed on 33 participants. In response to deployment, HEI-2010 scores decreased for total HEI-2010 (70.3 ± 9.1 vs. 62.9 ± 11.1), total fruit (4.4 ± 1.1 vs. 3.7 ± 1.5), whole fruit (4.6 ± 1.0 vs. 4.2 ± 1.4), dairy (6.2 ± 2.7 vs. 4.8 ± 2.4), and empty calories (14.3 ± 3.2 vs. 11.1 ± 4.5) (P ≤ 0.05). Average daily intakes of foods and food groups that decreased included total dairy (P