A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher has received $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the nutritional needs of military combat soldiers, the school said Thursday.
The agency awarded the five-year grant to Arny Ferrando, a researcher in the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine's department of geriatrics, according to a news release.
The first step in the study will be to determine the required amino acid intake under conditions often experienced by combat personnel, the release states. Researchers will then look at how to deliver those amino acids, whether through food or supplements.
UAMS said that the results, which could also be applied to athletes and patients in intensive care, will be tested during a simulated training scenario and eventually during real-time combat training exercises.
Failing to consume enough calories often results in muscle loss that may cause physical performance to deteriorate and increase injury risks.
“There is a critical need for effective and feasible interventions that sustain and maximize warfighter health and performance during real-world operations,” Ferrando said in a statement. “The use of a combat ration item designed from this research will be used to promote recovery and increase combat effectiveness by offsetting losses of body and muscle protein.”