24.3 Nutrition (AFH-1 Section 22C)

Energy balance is a readiness task

Section 22C, Nutrition, is ADTC B for Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant — and unlike 22A and 22B, the published row is BBBBB, so it remains B-coded for senior NCOs as well. DAFMAN 36-2905 did not rewrite these figures. The Warfighter's Fitness Playbook adds sleep and nutrition coaching around the same science. For the PFE, every number below is fair game.

"Airmen are responsible for being mission ready at all times and must recognize that nutrition plays an important role in maintaining good health and performance." Calories from food and beverages need to be balanced with calories burned through metabolism and physical activity. Estimated needs: adult women 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day; adult men 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. Inside each range, the low end is sedentary and the high end is active.

A healthy eating pattern includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, proteins, and healthy fats. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, breathing problems, and some cancers.

AFH 1 sends Airmen back to SMART goals. Its own examples show the required specificity: "I will exercise (bike or jog at a moderate heartrate) for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, for one month starting today" and "I will reduce my fast food consumption to one (non-supersized) meal, one time per week, for two months starting today." Vague intentions — "eat better," "hit the gym more" — are not the handbook's standard.

Food for fuel, then the 4:1 recovery ratio

Carbohydrates digest relatively quickly and become energy available within 30 to 60 minutes. After a workout, a snack or light meal helps replenish carbohydrates burned during exercise and convert them into glycogen; adding protein helps rebuild muscle fibers. "An optimal composition of a post recovery beverage or snack is a four-to-one carbohydrate to protein ratio" — four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein. AFH 1's example: an eight-ounce glass of chocolate milk contains about 29 grams of carbohydrates and eight grams of protein. Simple healthy snacks named in the handbook include low-fat yogurt, nuts and dried fruit, string cheese, and fruit bars.

Worked check. 29 grams of carbohydrate against 8 grams of protein is about 3.6 to 1, close enough to the 4:1 target that the handbook calls chocolate milk a great post-recovery replenishment. A protein shake with almost no carbohydrate misses the handbook ratio in the other direction.

Macronutrients — four, four, nine

Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, and other essential nutrients required in very small amounts. They support brain, heart, blood, and metabolism functions and can prevent deficiency disorders. Macronutrients make up the bulk of the diet, supply energy, and provide many essential nutrients.

Fat is more than twice as calorie-dense as carbohydrate or protein. That single comparison answers most "which macronutrient packs more energy" items.

Carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates increase blood glucose rapidly — table sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, fruit drinks, soft drinks, and candy, often in packaged or processed foods. Complex carbohydrates increase blood glucose slowly — fruits, breads, cereals, grains, milk, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas, and squash. An estimated serving is about the size of the palm of your hand. Fiber (oatmeal, oat bran, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole wheat bread, barley, brown rice, most vegetables and fruits) aids digestion and helps balance sugar absorption. The average American consumes 12–15 grams of fiber per day; the recommended total is 20–35 grams.

Protein. If the body is not getting enough calories from dietary sources or tissue stores, protein may be used for energy — which is not the job you want it doing during a training cycle. Sources include meats, poultry, fish, legumes, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds, milk, milk products, and grains. Focus on lean meats and low-fat milk products to reduce saturated fat. The recommended serving size of meat is the size of a deck of cards and contains about 21 grams of protein.

Fats. Trans fats are linked to coronary heart disease; keep intake as low as possible. They appear in small amounts in fatty meat and milk products and in foods with partially hydrogenated oils — frozen pizzas, frozen pies, cookies, margarine spreads, and other processed foods. Saturated fats are also linked to coronary heart disease and should make up less than 10 percent of daily calories. They are usually solid at room temperature: high-fat cheeses, high-fat cuts of meat, whole-fat milk, cream, butter, ice cream, and palm and coconut oils. Unsaturated fats can reduce heart-disease risk and improve high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol). They are typically liquid at room temperature (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), from plant sources — canola oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, flaxseed, avocado — and from fish such as trout, herring, and salmon. Solid at room temperature means saturated; liquid means unsaturated. That is the fastest discriminator.

Sodium, supplements, and the flying-status rule

Sodium is necessary, but high intake raises blood pressure — a major risk factor for heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death.

Keep sodium low by eating whole foods: fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean and unprocessed poultry and fish, unsalted nuts, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.

Supplements may include vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, or other substances sold as pills, powders, bars, packs, gels, drinks, or shakes. Bodybuilding, performance-enhancement, and weight-loss products most likely contain undeclared ingredients presented as proprietary blends or delivery systems that do not specify the amount of each ingredient and increase the risk of overdosing on creatine or caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration does not test supplements before they are sold. Look for third-party verification or certification labels before purchasing. Airmen on flying status must consult with their flight surgeon before taking supplements; all Airmen are encouraged to discuss supplement use with their healthcare provider. Culture of Fitness does not create a loophole around that flight-surgeon rule.

Hydration — water first, then the beverages that do not count

The body is about 60 percent water. Water maintains fluid balance, transports nutrients, regulates body temperature, and digests food.

Dehydration increases risk for cognitive and mental performance problems, heat illness, exhaustion, and stroke. Over-hydration is also dangerous: chills, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation, altered mental status, fatigue, headache, and even death. Replace losses and monitor signs of under- or over-hydration rather than chasing a single number on a hot flight line.

Water is generally best for remaining hydrated. Sports drinks may be preferred during prolonged exercise or physical exertion to replace electrolytes and carbohydrates; they contain carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium, which have been shown to improve exercise performance. Caffeine does not hydrate. Used in moderation it has been shown to improve cognitive performance. A cup of coffee typically has 100 milligrams. Large doses — roughly 400–500 milligrams at one time — can result in caffeine intoxication: nausea, vomiting, agitation, nervousness, headache, electrolyte imbalances, or worse life-threatening symptoms. Energy drinks are not meant to hydrate. Their effect on athletic performance is inconsistent, and they carry warnings because of stimulants such as caffeine, green tea extract, guarana seed extract, yerba mate, acacia rigidula, taurine, ginseng, or other proprietary blends that can contain novel, untested ingredients. Alcohol does not hydrate. The Dietary Guidelines advise one drink per day for women and two per day for men. Serving sizes: beer 12 ounces, wine five ounces, 80-proof distilled spirits 1.5 ounces. The average serving has about 150 calories with no nutritional value. Excessive alcohol may increase risk for high blood pressure, liver cirrhosis, and several forms of cancer, and may lead to excess weight gain, chronic diseases, osteoporosis, stress injuries, and impaired short- and long-term cognitive function.

Three beverages that do not hydrate — caffeine, energy drinks, and alcohol — and two that do work — water, then sports drinks for prolonged exertion — are the pairing Section 22C tests. Pair that with the 4:1 recovery ratio and the 4/4/9 calorie-per-gram set, and the nutrition items on a 22C-coded PFE become a memory drill rather than a guessing drill.