If an army marches on its stomach, it surely gets fit with good nutrition. And now, in Afghanistan, British soldiers are under more pressure to stay fit than ever before. At high altitudes, and when out on active operations, they can’t afford to let their fitness slide.
Recently nutrition supplements specialist CNP Professional noticed that soldiers on active service in Kabul were ordering their products. We asked one of the soldiers, Lance Corporal Lando Nel, about his training schedule, nutrition, and how he keeps in shape.
Before the army Lando was himself a personal trainer and nutritionist, and this experience not only keeps him in peak shape, but helps him advise his comrades-in-arms too.
"I started using CNP before joining the military, when I was doing intensive fitness training," Lando says. "It really helped me gain a lot of good mass, and that initial surge in weight and muscle gain was one of my most memorable times. I used Pro Mass and Pro MR a lot, pretty much after each weight training session, and the results were staggering – they really work!
"Fitness is a way of life out here in Afghanistan," he adds. "It’s an integral part of our line of work; but how we eat and drink is as important as how we exercise. The 1800-metre altitude in Kabul causes problems for everyone when they first arrive. The first time I played touch rugby at the camp, my lungs burned like hell – I had a whole new level of training to put in place.
"One area where it’s perhaps different from conventional training in the UK is that we vary the training routine a lot, just to keep our bodies guessing and growing. One week we’ll do strength training, the next muscle building, or circuit training, and we’ll include spinning classes and cardio. Currently we are focusing more on strength and conditioning. We train to keep the entire body free from muscle injury and make life out here more comfortable.
"The facilities here are excellent, and we are spoiled for choice in equipment. British soldiers are actually returning home fitter and stronger than when they arrive. But having the CNP supplements is adding a whole new layer to my training. When I was out on one operation recently, I lost 5kg in three weeks, so when I returned to base I used CNP products to help me put the weight back on properly while building strength.
"We take a whole range of CNP supplements daily – protein, creatine, protein bars, energy drinks and so on. We all especially love the CNP flapjacks and energy bars, and eat loads of them. When you’re on operations and you need a quick snack, they really fill you up properly, without bloating."
CNP Professional is one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition specialist companies. For more information visit www.cnpprofessional.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 161 320 1212 for sports nutrition advice and +44 (0) 161 320 8145 for sales.
Notes for editors
CNP Professional is a leading supplier of sports nutrition supplements including protein shakes, protein bars, performance boosters, creatine supplements, meal replacements, mass gainers, weight loss supplements and post work out shakes. All are designed for the ultimate in sports nutrition.
Kerry Kayes, the founder of CNP Professional is a former national bodybuilding champion. He has been involved in sports nutrition for many years and his dietary expertise has established him as ‘the man in the know’ to sportspeople worldwide such as the Ericsson Round the World Yacht Team, boxer Ricky Hatton, dart’s champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, international strongman Glen Ross and Sean Long of St Helen’s RLFC.
CNP Professional supplements are carefully formulated to ensure that the body is able to make best use of the nutrients. Unlike many nutritional supplements, CNP Professional’s products are easy to drink.
There are several articles explaining protein nutrition supplements on the CNP website – go to the home page and click on ‘nutrition’ under the articles section.