ABSTRACT
Military service results in unique occupational demands that often require significant physical training and performance. Exposure to the physical demands of military service results in an increased risk of injury, including overuse injuries to bone, such as stress fractures, which may occur in association with unaccustomed repetitive physical activities. Initial military training (IMT) is the initial indoctrination of civilians to military service. This chapter reviews the evidence linking a series of nutrients, such as iron, calcium, and vitamin D, to stress fracture risk and highlights how these nutrients affect bone health in active populations. Iron is a nutritionally essential trace element that confers function through incorporation into a series of proteins and enzymes. Calcium and vitamin D are the two micronutrients most commonly associated with the formation and metabolism of bone. Calcium is the largest mineral component of bone; more than 99% of total body calcium occurs as calcium hydroxyapatite in bones and teeth.
