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In response to a product requirement specification originally developed by QinetiQ on behalf of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), British troops taking part in military operations will soon have a new weapon in their armoury - isotonic drinks.
Announcing the award of the £1.5 million three year enabling contract to GlaxoSmithKline to produce a Lucozade Sport Body Fuel drink for the 24 hour Operational Ration Pack, Secretary of State for Defence John Reid said: "For a long time we have been very aware of the importance of getting the right combination of energy and nutrients from the food our soldiers eat, but it is only recently that we have started to examine the science behind what they drink.
"Fatigue and dehydration both sap energy, reducing the effectiveness of fighting forces when they are deployed on strenuous operations. The new isotonic drink will help combat this."
The Secretary of State also welcomed the introduction of a new Commanders' Guide to fluid intake during military operations in the heat. Produced as part of MOD's Human Capability Research Programme and written by QinetiQ and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) with input from external academics and nutritionists, it is published by the DLO and is expected to become essential reading for commanders preparing to take troops on operations.
Having established the specification and requirements for the isotonic drink, a tender was put out by the DLO to potential suppliers and products submitted. These were rigorously evaluated by an independent laboratory against QinetiQ's specification to assure impartiality and that the most appropriate product as being announced today was sourced.
The Surgeon General, Surgeon Vice Admiral Ian Jenkins said: "Dehydration and the effects of working in hot climates can be a serious problem for military personnel. Commanders need to be confident that their troops are healthy and that they can still do their job. An initiative that raises awareness of the challenges of operating in hot environments is to be welcomed."
Brigadier David Martin of the DLO's Defence Catering Group added: "We all know from watching top athletes the importance they place on nutrition and hydration. MOD is now applying the scientific lessons learnt in this field to the food and drink our soldiers, sailors and air force personnel consume. With British forces taking part in operations in hot and dry environments like Afghanistan and Iraq, the importance of this guide cannot be underestimated."
The DLO and QinetiQ have also created a fact sheet based on the guide, called 10 Top Tips on Hydration, which will be of benefit to anyone involved in physical activity.
The fact sheet is available from the MOD's website and is also shown below. |
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Notes to Editors
| 1 | Feeding the Forces 2005 took place on 20 September at Bramley Training Area, near Basingstoke. The event was organised to highlight the improvements being made to UK Operational Ration Packs following a review of UK operational feeding conducted by QinetiQ, the defence and security company, on behalf of MOD.
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| | 2 | The Commanders' Guide to Fluid intake during military operations in the heat provides detailed information on the dangers and consequences of dehydration, identifies the major causes of dehydration and offers guidance on how to prevent dehydration in the heat whilst performing military activities. The topics covered are causes of dehydration, how dehydration affects performance, whether dehydration can be avoided and drinking strategies for minimising dehydration. It was written by QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) on behalf of the DLO, with input from external academics and nutritionists.
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| | 3 | Lucozade Sport Body Fuel was chosen following trials of isotonic drinks. The DLO will be adding the powdered mix to 24-hour operational packs from April 2006. The drink comes in two varieties, orange and lemon. Isotonic drinks enable troops to hydrate more quickly because they increase the rate of fluid uptake by the body, improve palatability and maintain the central drive to drink thereby helping to ensure the replacement of lost body fluids.
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| | 4 | In 2004 the DLO published the Commanders' Guide to Nutrition and the Recruits' Guide to Nutrition. The guides, which have proved very successful, are aimed at Front Line soldiers and new recruits and emphasise the need for a balanced, nutritious diet to ensure optimum energy levels and optimal physical and mental performance during training and operations. This new guide is aimed at commanders because of the importance of recognising the impact of dehydration in others.
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10 Top Tips on Hydration
| | 10 Top Tips on Hydration
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| 1 | Check your urine - this is the best test. If you are well hydrated your urine will be light in colour and there will be plenty of it. If you are dehydrated your urine will be darker and there will be less of it. Use the urine colour chart in the Commanders' Guide to Fluid Intake to help you.
| | 2 | Ensure you begin training or operational activity in a hydrated state. A small degree of dehydration will not affect you, but severe dehydration harms both performance and health.
| | 3 | Take responsibility for finding out how much fluid you require. Sweat losses vary a great deal between individuals and some soldiers will need to drink more than others. Do the urine test above to establish your personal fluid requirement. It doesn't take long to do this, but remember that your needs will change depending upon the amount of exercise you do, the type and amount of clothing you are required to wear, and the weather. If you can, try to weigh yourself before and after exercise to help you gauge how much fluid you need (see below).
| | 4 | If you can, weigh yourself, either nude or in the same dry clothing, before and after exercise. Weight loss during a single period of exercise equates largely to fluid loss (1 kg body weight lost = 1 litre of water lost). This is a simple and accurate way to find out how much fluid you need to drink after exercise. If you can, drink up to one and a half times the amount lost (eg if you have lost 2 kg in weight, aim to drink 3 litres of fluid during the recovery period). Scientific studies have shown that this strategy restores hydration status more effectively than simply matching weight loss because it takes account of the urine you will continue to pass in the hours after exercise.
| | 5 | Where possible, drink cool fluids before, during, and after training and operational activity. If you have access to them, sports-type drinks (usually isotonic) are best. The small amounts of carbohydrate and sodium they contain increase the rate of fluid uptake by the body, improve taste, and maintain the desire to drink, thereby helping to ensure the replacement of body fluids (and salts) lost in sweat. Plain water is fine, but you may stop feeling thirsty, and therefore stop drinking, before you are properly rehydrated. Scientific studies have shown that consumption of water alone is unlikely to restore and maintain hydration status after exercise as effectively as a sports-type drink.
| | 6 | Carry drinks when you can, or try to ensure you will have access to safe drinking water.
| | 7 | Pay attention to drinking during and after exercise in all weather conditions. We all know that, in the heat, body water is lost as sweat and must be replaced. Fewer soldiers are aware that there is a real risk of dehydration during cold weather training and operations. In the cold, soldiers still sweat during exercise, and breathing in cold, dry air draws water out of the airways. Indeed, some soldiers on cold weather deployments may actually lose more fluid than those operating in temperate or warm environments because the insulation provided by their clothing can reduce heat loss and promote sweating. If clothing is inadequate and the body cools, they will lose water by urinating more often. Despite this, the cold will make them feel less thirsty. The effort of producing potable water from snow, difficulties in preparing and serving food in cold conditions, and the dehydrated nature of cold climate meals, which are sometimes eaten without being reconstituted, also increase the risk of dehydration.
| | 8 | Avoid fizzy drinks and alcohol. Fizzy drinks tend to fill you up before you are hydrated, and alcohol can lead to further dehydration.
| | 9 | Don't drink too much! Continually having to stop to go to the toilet won't help you or your Unit, and the extra body weight won't help you either. Do the urine test on a regular basis, and find out how much you need to remain properly hydrated, but, again, remember that it will change depending upon the amount of exercise you do, the clothing you are required to wear, and the weather.
| | 10 | Look out for 'salty sweaters'. Some individuals lose a lot of salt in their sweat during exercise, and this can sometimes be seen as white crumbly patches dried on the skin and clothing after exercise. These individuals may be at greater risk of muscle cramps during exercise, and may benefit from drinks containing salts such as sodium. They should try to eat a meal after exercise as foods (particularly foods in operational ration packs) are also a good source of salt.
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Written by Dr Anna Casey PhD, QinetiQ and reproduced with agreement of the Defence Logistics Organisation, September 2005.
Copyright QinetiQ Ltd (2005)
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