Photo By Robert Whetstone | U.S. Army Capt. Jeremy Brooks (center), chief nutritionist, Medical and Dental...... read more read more
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By Robert A. Whetstone
Brooke Army Medical Center Public Affairs
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Nutrition can be an afterthought to the average person, but to world-class athletes it’s the difference between victory and defeat. The athletes on Team Army training at Fort Belvoir for the Department of Defense Warrior Games are taking nutrition seriously. So seriously, that the team brought in a registered dietitian to assist the athletes and give them a competitive edge.
“I came across an operations order stating that the trials (Army Trials at Fort Bliss, Texas, March-April 2015) were happening, and it listed what staff they needed for support, and I noticed that there was no nutritionist or dietitian identified to provide support to the athletes,” said Capt. Jeremy Brooks, chief nutritionist, Medical and Dental Activity, Fort Drum, New York. “So as a dietitian that immediately sent up a red flag for me. We need to have a dietitian involved at some level to provide nutrition advice.”
Brooks volunteered his services and was immediately dispatched to assist the team.
Brooks is not alone in this endeavor. He’s enlisted the help of 1st Lt. Samantha Rigby, Fort Belvoir dietitian, and Maj. Bethany Belanger, nutrition lead for the Performance Triad. Together, they are interviewing individual athletes and building personalized plans to educate and bring out the best performances possible. They are also meeting with teams to help maximize the group effort.
The 2015 DOD Warrior Games will be held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 19-28. The games are an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and Veterans. Approximately 250 athletes, representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations Command and the British Armed Forces will compete in archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball.
Nutrition is one of the three key actions (sleep, activity, and nutrition) of the Army’s Performance Triad to keep Soldiers healthy and prepared to fight the nation’s wars. The Performance Triad is a comprehensive plan to improve readiness and increase resilience through public health initiatives and leadership engagement.
The Greek physician Hippocrates once said, “The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine.”
Adding the right type of fuel to the body increases the level of training for elite and recreational athletes. Both focus and energy surge, while recovery time diminishes when athletes take care of their body.
It is critical for Soldiers to build an eating strategy that will complement the requirements of their mission.
“When athletes are training at this level, as hard as they train, if they’re not eating properly, that’s going to limit their performance and their success in the games and wherever else they want to go,” Brooks said. The mission for the Army Team is to be in the best shape possible to retain the Chairman’s Cup.”
In a 2014 Men’s Fitness magazine article, editors listed diet and hydration as some of their top tips for training like a world class athlete.
“I’m working with them (Team Army athletes), reminding them to drink water, making sure they are properly timing their meals before they work out and after they’re finished training; making sure they’re eating the proper mix of nutrients to really maximize the recovery process because some are competing in multiple events,” Brooks said.
When it comes to food cravings, world class athletes are no different from ‘normal’ people. “Americans in general eat some junk food and fast food,” stated Brooks. “I’m really educating the athletes on good sources of carbohydrates, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, and healthy fats.”
This is the first year Team Army has offered the services of a nutritionist to work with all the athletes.
“What we are doing this year, will set the ground work for future games,” said Brooks. “We are already discussing how to incorporate the Army Wellness Center's expertise in sleep hygiene, body composition and stress management to really develop a complete athlete.”
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2015 21:33 |
| Story ID: | 166374 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 471 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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