It should not come as much of a surprise that active duty soldiers require more energy on a day to day basis than the civilian population. Experts estimate that typical servicemembers in a garrison take in about 3,250 calories every day. However, less is known about the nutritional needs of special operations forces in the military, and researchers from the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) are interested in finding out what they are, Military.com reports.
The study is being conducted to see if any changes are necessary to the Basic Daily Food Allowance (BDFA). Experts believe that special forces may require more calories each day because their training often includes more workouts and is physically demanding, something that could be reflected in the BDFA.
“The special forces have long argued that their people work harder and sustain much higher rates of energy expenditure than the average soldier when they’re training in garrison and subsisting in dining facilities,” Dr. Andrew Young, chief of the Military Nutrition Division, told the website.
Nutrition is particularly important to active duty soldiers, this is especially true as it relates to protein. Experts recommend that servicemembers consume around 20 grams throughout the day and between 30 and 40 grams after a workout.