Conducting a first-of-its-kind study, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of using nutrition research to improve field performance among soldiers.
During military missions, soldiers may experience a drop in testosterone levels because of a calorie deficiency. They may not have enough time to eat an adequate meal simply burns more calories than they consume. The Optimizing Performance for Soldiers study is researching how maintaining normal testosterone levels throughout this calorie-deficit period can minimize the negative effects of insufficient caloric intake, according to Pennington Associate Executive Director for Cores and Resources Jennifer Rood, the OPS study’s primary investigator.
When soldiers burn more calories than they consume, they begin to lose weight over time. Losing weight means a loss in muscle mass and fat, which affects their mental and physical performance and can lead to a drop in testosterone levels, Rood said.
To mimic this environment, the experiment is separated into three phases, where participants operate on a calorie-deficit diet and perform rigorous physical activity. Subjects are then given an injection of either testosterone or a placebo and are monitored to see the effects of the hormone. A physician is on staff to oversee the safety of these medical procedures.
University students are involved in the study, primarily administering exercise protocol throughout the phases.
“We’re hoping the results of this study can lead us toward something, whether it’s a nutritional intervention or a nutritional combination with testosterone,” Rood said. “It’s to help our war fighters perform better in the field, and if they’re performing better than we expect, ultimately we’re going to be able to help save lives on the battlefield.”
The study’s participants have to be males ages 18 to 39 who exercise two to three times a week. The experiment recruits civilians who meet the entrance requirements to get into the U.S. military, not actual servicemen.
Pennington began the OPS study in May. After enrolling 18 participants over several months, they’ve completed eight cases to date. The research team wants a total of 50 cases and expects the study to continue for the next 12 to 18 months.
Once the study concludes, facilitators will spend another six months analyzing data to come to a conclusion. Until all the data is analyzed, researchers can’t predict anything conclusive regarding the cases they’ve completed thus far.
“If we see positive results from this study, that will lead us to take the next step to look and see whether or not there is nutritional intervention we could use out in the field,” Rood said.
OPS is a randomized double-blind study, and will be kept blind until all 50 participants have completed their role in the study.
During the OPS study, participants are observed in a metabolic chamber which can measure calories burned and whether those calories are fat, carbohydrates or proteins for 24 hours. This gives researchers an idea of how the individual’s body burns calories and is an important part of the study, according to Rood.
After passing the initial screening period, participants begin a 14-day outpatient procedure for phase one. They come to Pennington each day for two weeks to eat breakfast and collect their meals for that day, while researchers do baseline assessments that include body composition, cognitive testing and muscle biopsies.
For phase two, participants stay at Pennington for 28 days. For this inpatient portion, researchers decrease calorie consumption while participants exercise three to four times a day. Once a week, participants will receive either the testosterone or placebo injection.
In phase three, participants leave the unit, but continue to stay enrolled until they regain any weight lost throughout the duration of the OPS study. Participants lose about 10 to 15 pounds during the 28 day inpatient period, Rood said.
Pennington has a standing 28-year relationship with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine and has conducted over 100 projects with the institute throughout the partnership.