ABSTRACT
A few decades ago sports nutrition science was in its early infancy; however, today, many science-based solutions are available in the form of functional foods and dietary supplements. It is important to understand that some populations of active individuals, such as combat personnel, first responders, and athletes, may have greater nutritional requirements when compared with the general population. In the United States and Canada, dietary reference intakes (DRIs) are calculated using “reference people” of specific height, weight, sex, physical activity, and environmental conditions; however, many active individuals do not fit into these standard reference categories. For this reason, military DRIs were derived from the existing DRIs, taking into account increased physical activity and environmental stress factors faced by these individuals [1].
