Natick Scientists Head To Mountains For Warfighter Research

NATICK, MA—About ten thousand feet above sea level in California, scientists from the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick went to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center this summer to assess energy expenditure, energy intake and physical performance in warfighters during mountain warfare training, reports the U.S. Army.

The MCMWTC trains U.S. service members and allies to fight and survive in mountainous environments during any season and those who partake in the 30-day mountain operational training exercise at the MCMWTC learn how to conduct operations in the mountainous terrain and fight an enemy that can attack at any time in the battle space.

Maj. Nicholas Barringer, a USARIEM research dietitian, is one of the principal investigators on a team that includes Drs. James McClung and Stefan Pasiakos.

"Training in a mountainous environment can be metabolically demanding for warfighters, especially when they are carrying heavy loads," Barringer said in a statement. "In USARIEM's previous research, we have seen that warfighters have increased energy expenditure when operating at high altitude. One reason for this, besides the increased metabolic demand of altitude, is that walking through mountainous terrain is more physically demanding than walking on flat ground. If warfighters do not eat enough energy to match the strenuous work they perform in such demanding conditions, this could lead to 'negative energy balance.'"

Read more about their findings and experience here.

Photo via United States Army