Dietary support of long-duration head-down bed rest.
BACKGROUND
Dietary control and nutrient intake are critical aspects of any metabolic study, but this is especially true in the case of bed rest studies. We sought to define nutritional requirements, develop menus, and implement them during long-duration head-down bed rest studies.


METHODS
The dietary goals were to provide 100% of subjects' nutrient requirements and to maintain subjects' bodyweight to within 3% of their weight on the third day of head-down bed rest. The research dietitian and metabolic kitchen staff are an important part of the multidisciplinary team required to implement a bed rest study.


RESULTS
We report herein the planning steps and nutrient intake results from 13 subjects. We also provide insight into some of the dietary challenges that arise during long-duration bed rest studies.


CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of the overall objective of the bed rest study to be performed, nutrition must be carefully planned, implemented, and monitored to prevent results from being compromised.
Inniss
Astrid M
AM
General Clinical Research Center, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555-0264, USA. aminniss@utmb.edu
Rice
Barbara L
BL
Smith
Scott M
SM
D000328:Adult; D001510:Bed Rest; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D018475:Head-Down Tilt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008612:Menu Planning; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep; D013026:Space Flight; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States