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Situational supplements

Military life has its own unique demands. Bad chow and a run-and-gun life of fast-moving, high-stress work and play can all conspire against you.

Experts insist that eating a well-balanced diet is the best — and least expensive — way to give your body the fuel it needs to be strong, fast and smart. But when the heat is on, a good diet isn’t always available. And sometimes even the healthiest eaters need some extra help.

Whether you’re an Air Force bomb loader who needs to bulk up or an infantryman looking for an endurance boost, nutritional supplements can help.

Here’s a rundown of real-life situations and the supplements that work:

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Cold climate

Take: Vitamin C, thiamin, magnesium and zinc.

Why: For people in cold conditions, vitamin C significantly reduced the risk of colds by about 50 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health. When it’s cold, your body burns more energy to stay warm, which depletes thiamin, and that cuts into magnesium and zinc reserves.

How much: 250mg per day of vitamin C; 3mg per day of thiamin; 400mg per day of magnesium; 20mg per day of zinc.

High altitude

Take: Vitamin E, vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid.

Why: High altitudes can burn up vitamins. A cocktail of E, C and alpha-lipoic acid — an antioxidant that helps turn sugar into energy — can replenish your stores and help stave off high-altitude sickness.

How much: 200 IUs of vitamin E; 200mg of vitamin C; 300mg of alpha-lipoic acid, all twice a day.

Always indoors

Take: Vitamin D.

Why: Submariners, swing-shift workers and sun-haters take note: Your body needs vitamin D to build strong bones and to fight off sickness, and pretty much the only way to get enough naturally is from about 10 minutes of sun exposure a day. That’s why nearly four out of 10 Americans are dangerously deficient.

How much: About 2,000 International Units (IUs) per day. Adding calcium will increase absorption.

Down in the dumps

Take: St. John’s Wort.

Why: This herb can be just as good at treating mild to moderate depression in short-term use — one to three months — as some prescription meds, according to the National Institutes of Science.

How much: 600mg in the morning and 300mg in the evening, says Dr. Daniel Amen, a leading psychiatrist and author. Don’t take it if you’re already on prescribed antidepressants without talking to your doctor first.

Need to stay awake

Take: Caffeine.

How much: 200mg every two hours. That’s a cup of coffee or two pieces of Stay Alert gum. If the coffee shop folks know you by name, you’ve probably already built up a tolerance and will need more when you’re actually tired.

Need to focus

Take: Tyrosine.

Why: A critical brainpower building block, adding tyrosine in stressful situations — such as combat, extreme weather or sleep deprivation — can boost memory and attention while reducing moodiness, confusion and tension. One military study found that marksmanship skills benefited from tyrosine. It’s only good under stress, though, say National Academy of Sciences military experts.

How much: 500mg-1,000mg twice a day.

Having a baby

Take: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Why: Taking the plant-based version of this omega-3 fatty acid during pregnancy may improve brain, eye and nervous system development in infants.

How much: Aim for 200mg per day, according to recommendations published in the Journal of Perinatal Medicine.

Need to sleep

Take: Melatonin.

Why: A light-sensitive hormone synthesized from tryptophan, melatonin is so good at maximizing rack time that you need a prescription for it in Canada and the U.K. There are safety concerns, though: Aside from making you drowsy, melatonin can lower your core body temperature, so don’t take it in cold conditions.

How much: 0.5mg-5mg per dose.

Building muscle

Take: Creatine.

Why: Dozens of well-conducted studies have found that with exercise, daily doses of creatine produce “an average greater gain of 2-5 pounds of increased muscle mass and 5-15 percent increase in muscle power and strength,” according to the Use of Dietary Supplements by Military Personnel, published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2008. Creatine monohydrate is currently the most proven form of creatine. Forget about liquid creatine — it’s not the real deal.

How much: Rapid loading, 20g-25g per day for five to seven days; slow loading, 3g per day for 30 days; maintenance, 2g per day.

Maximizing strength workouts

Take: Protein.

Why: Workouts are muscle-fiber destroyers. Protein is the muscle maker. You reach the point of diminishing returns at 20g to 30g — the equivalent of 4 ounces of chicken or lean steak — according to 2009 studies in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and at the University of Texas. Whey-based protein shakes are a great alternative.

How much: 20g as soon as you catch your breath.

Beginning weightlifting

Take: HMB (ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate)

Why: Tests have shown that HMB — a metabolic derivative of the amino acid leucine — gives a slight edge in muscle boosting for new weightlifters to the tune of about 1.4 percent per week over those who don’t use it. “HMB may help to slightly increase lean tissue gains for new military recruits undergoing vigorous resistance training but is less likely to be of value for well-trained individuals,” according to the National Academy of Sciences military committee. There is conflicting evidence whether it does any good for experienced weightlifters.

How much: 3g per day for four to 24 weeks.

Sweating a lot

Take: Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium).

How: Sports drinks, juices.

Why: We are electric creatures. Electrolytes ensure that current can move through our bodies, but dehydration lowers the dimmer as you sweat them out. Sports drinks can be better than water when you’re on the move, but fruit juices are best before and after sweat baths, says sport nutrition guru Nancy Clark.

When: Before and after any sweat-producing activity.

Dieting

Take: Calcium.

Why: It won’t help you shed pounds, but it will help keep you healthy. For those on weight-loss programs, the Committee on Mineral Requirements for Military Personnel recommends taking calcium to minimize bone loss.

How much: 1,000mg-1,700mg per day.