Synthetic drugs are laboratory-made substances marketed and sold as alternatives to illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines. Although most are advertised as “all-natural,” they may have serious health effects and violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). HPRC takes a look at two examples of synthetic drugs, their legal status, and how they can affect service members in “HPRC’s Answer: Synthetic Drugs of Abuse.”

The annual Army “Strong B.A.N.D.S.” campaign is set to launch for another year beginning in May. Strong B.A.N.D.S. promotes physical fitness, nutrition, optimal health, and resilience by focusing on Balance, Activity, Nutrition, Determination, and Strength—forming the acronym B.A.N.D.S. The campaign has activities at numerous garrisons to help educate soldiers, their families, and civilians. Strong B.A.N.D.S. is a campaign of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation directorate and is “designed to energize and inspire community members to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Check out the website for detailed information and to see if there is a Strong B.A.N.D.S. activity near you.

Carnitine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body that helps cells use fat for energy. The liver and kidneys can produce carnitine from amino acids provided by the diet, but carnitine also comes from many foods, especially red meat, and is an ingredient in many dietary supplements and energy drinks.

Sometimes doctors use carnitine to treat certain heart conditions. Recent clinical trials suggest that carnitine supplements may help reduce many of the complications associated with heart attacks, such as chest pain and irregular heart rhythms.

But new research suggests that long-term consumption of dietary carnitine also may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis—“hardening of the arteries”—especially in people who eat red meat regularly. So what’s the bottom line? More research is needed to determine the risks and benefits associated with carnitine.

You can learn more about carnitine in HPRC’s Dietary Supplement Classification System.

Everyone has feelings—and by the time people become adults, most have a vocabulary for talking about them. Children, however, often don’t yet have this skill and are more likely to act out how they feel. A great way to strengthen your family is to help your child(ren) learn how to talk about feelings in an age-appropriate way. The Families Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS) program for enhancing family resilience has created a “Feeling Thermometer” that you can use with your child so he or she can show you where his/her feelings fall. This is a great way to understand what your child is feeling and to start talking about emotions such as anger when a child gets too “hot,” so he or she can learn how to control such feelings and make that anger temperature go down.

For more ideas to strengthen your family, check out HPRC’s Family & Relationships domain.

Social media is great for staying connected with your friends and family, but you can also use it to your performance advantage by keeping up with information from reputable sources. HPRC’s social media and four others are reliable sources for great health and total fitness information for Warfighters, military families, and civilians. They also allow you to voice your opinion, ask a question, and interact directly with organizations. But remember: Just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t make it true. To get answers that are evidence-based, start here:

Human Performance Resource Center [Facebook, Twitter]

Posts evidence-based information on all components of human performance optimization

Operation Supplement Safety [Facebook]

Posts and answers questions on dietary supplements and how to use them wisely

Real Warriors [Facebook, Twitter]

Provides educational and inspirational messages around psychological health and resilience

Military Health [Facebook, Twitter]

Provides comprehensive military health and wellness information

Military OneSource [Facebook, Twitter]

Shares articles, blogs, and photos about military family life and wellness

Visit the MHS Social Media Directory for more great organizations you can follow.

DMAA, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced illegal in dietary supplements on 11 April 2013, has been used in many weight-loss, bodybuilding, and performance-enhancement products. HPRC has received many questions about it use by military personnel. To help answer questions about DMAA in general, we put together an Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) FAQ. OPSS also has FAQs about Jack3d and OxyElite Pro, two popular dietary supplement products. Be sure to check back often as we add answers to other questions about ingredients in performance-enhancing and weight-loss supplements and how to choose supplements safely.

Both service members and civilians with at least seven Army 10-miler finishes under their belt are eligible for one of the 10,000 bibs available via early registration starting May 1^st just after midnight for the 29th annual Army 10-Miler on Sunday, October 20, 2013. Service members must register with their .mil email addresses. Regular registration opens on May 15. Visit the Army 10-miler website for more information.

Increasing your flexibility with a regular stretching routine can help improve your performance by allowing your joints to move with greater range of motion (ROM) with each step, swing, or turn. Stretching also is a great way to increase the blood flow to your muscles, so it can be helpful prior to PT or sporting events. You can start increasing your flexibility with simple stretching and foam rolling exercises; check out our Performance Strategies for tips on how to begin.

Increasing the strength of your respiratory muscles (the ones that help you breathe: your diaphragm and the muscles between your ribs) will improve aerobic fitness, especially for long-duration tasks. Respiratory muscle training (RMT) can be achieved through whole-body aerobic exercise, upper-body strength conditioning, and some commercial RMT devices. However, using your military Pro Mask or other commercial mask device as a method of RMT is not going to prepare you for higher elevations. Studies have also found that RMT only slightly improves performance in those who are already aerobically fit, (i.e., military personnel); it has somewhat more benefit for those less fit or with chronic conditions. Your Pro Mask was made to protect your lungs, eyes, and face from chemical and biological agents, radioactive particles, and battlefield contaminants. It does not create enough airflow resistance to help improve aerobic capacity, and it wasn’t designed to be exercise equipment. In addition, there is no scientific evidence to show that using commercial masks at normal altitudes will improve your performance at high altitudes. You can read more from USARIEM about using Pro Masks and commercial products for exercise training, as well an overview of current information and recommendations.

Two techniques continue to be found to be effective no matter the age of the learner:

• Spread out your learning. When you need to learn something new, don’t cram it in right before you need it. Instead, distribute it over time in order to learn the most—and it’ll help you remember more of what you learn as time passes. So start ahead of time and diligently work towards your deadline. Then when you need the information, you may be able to remember it.
• Be put to the test! Testing allows you to evaluate your knowledge on a subject. Practice tests help you sharpen your skills through direct questioning or applying knowledge or skills in a similar task. So don’t be afraid to put yourself to the test: Use practice tests, flashcards, and/or practice problems to help yourself learn as much as you can and retain what you learn.

Some beloved techniques, such as highlighting and summarizing, may not be as effective as widely thought. Although this research focused on academic learning environments, the same information may be able to benefit military personnel as they learn new topics and skills throughout their career.
There is no one method that is the best for everyone and every task. In fact, combinations of learning methods have yet to be studied. Ultimately, you should judge these techniques according to your specific learning goals and determine what works best for you.