Minimus Nutrition, minimized weight

[Larry Bartlett]

Does it actually save weight though? Now, not all freeze dried meals are equal on this (and the Peak Chili Mac is one of the more calorie dense). But, based on your numbers above:

Peak Chili Mac is 135.1 Kacl/oz
Tater dust +1/2 chili mac is 124.2 Kcal/oz

Now, the Tater Dust has a density of 115 Kcal/oz, and from memory many freeze-dried meals are under that. It also probably saves on bulk.

Hey Marbles, i know you dont need a simpler version of anything, but here are a couple ways I've used Minimus to reduce food kit weight:

The Cocoa Dust is the only hot cocoa powder that I'm aware of that has free flowing essential amino acids, Omega-3s and MCTs. Start or end the day with one packet of Cocoa Dust and remove 1/4-cup of peanut butter or nuts from each day's menu. If a 2nd packet of Tater or Mater per day is added this allows us to split our meal portion (like Peak Fuel or Mountain House) by 50% each day, so 5 meals supply 10 dinners and sheds 1.5lbs of food weight just in dinner meals. This also reduces whey protein intake by 50% and for this your gut will thank you. Ramen noodle packets are now nutrient dense with Mater Dust, so forget the meat and cheese sticks weight. These ounces per day add up even when you factor in the trade in weight of Minimus.

Hunt AK Magazine has an article out in July that offers a 5-day field menu plan using a strategy I've adopted based off our published hunt studies. In that article I suggest hunters target a field menu that provides 2,000-2,300 calories per day with minimum daily protein provision of 0.8gm/kg (2.2lbs) of body weight by targeting food choices with 140-150 calories per ounce. I gave examples of a 16-ounce per day field menu without using Minimus, which provides 70-100gm intact protein each day and averages 2,100 cals/day. If you were to take that menu or one like it and then substitute your heaviest and longest to digest food choices with 2-3 ounces of Minimus per day, you'll shed pounds off last year's food kit and add nutrient security unmatched by any intact protein we gather, catch or kill. Recall not all calories are equal. If we target that 140-150 cals/ounce it forces us to select foods with high fat content, which helps satiate our energy and cravings as well as stabilize blood glucose levels. We need sugar calories right before bursts of field energy, but then we need fat and protein (in its lightest and quickest digestible form) to sustain our muscles and metabolism with chronic continuous activities like hunting.

LB

 

[BRTreedogs]

I may or may not try these out.
But no way in heck I'm leaving my meat sticks out.
A man has to have principles and morals.

 

[Clarktar]

Allow me to dive into the details about the development of Minimus. Mr. Larry Bartlett, Sheri Coker, PhD, and I began having discussions about how to reduce the weight/volume of our food kit on backcountry excursions about five years ago. We have all witnessed rapid improvements in gear efficiency when it comes to weapons, backpack, tents, sleeping gear, but backcountry nutrition really has not changed since I bought my first pair of used hiking boots in Jackson, WY in the early 1990s. Coupled with our own collective expertise, advice from special operators in the military and additional input from Brent Ruby, PhD (a former Ironman triathlete and Research Scientist), we utilized the doubly labeled water method to determine caloric expenditure (considered the gold standard in this regard) in backcountry hunters during remote expeditions in Alaska. This would be the first steppingstone for Minimus.

Get a cup of coffee as this is going to get sciencsy. Published in the peer reviewed scientific journal Physiological Reports (see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33369890/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30430767/), we demonstrated that these hunters utilized ~4200 calories/day, consumed ~1800 calories and ~1.0 grams of intact protein/kg of body weight. To our knowledge, these are the first and only peer-reviewed publications on this highly specific topic. Both manuscripts are attached to this post. Consistent with even more extreme events studied by our laboratory (see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29628417/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30662406/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27669446/), the hunters did not lose any muscle and/or their indices of metabolic health improved. Realizing that most hunters are physically active for about 14 hours/day, the average level of caloric expenditure in these studies equates to 300 calories/hour which represents low to moderate intensity levels of exercise. Sure, you may use more during certain periods of the day, but this information represents the average.

You may ask “what does this have to do with Minimus?” Great question! The first answer is that carbohydrate recommendations developed by the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) are based on the caloric expenditure of the exercise and the body weight of individual. For a 14-hour day at a low to moderate intensity of exercise at about 3 grams/hour of carbohydrate, this is ~17 grams/hr for an 80 kg individual (average male) and ~11 grams/hr for a 60 kg individual (average female). One serving of Tater Dust contains 37 grams of carbohydrate. One serving of Mater Dust or Cocoa Dust contains 11 grams of carbohydrate. All versions contain a proprietary blend of fructose and maltodextrin that has been demonstrated to optimize exercise performance (see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26373645/).

The information from the backcountry hunting studies then informed the fatty acid contributions to the macronutrient profile of Minimus. Let’s discuss why it is different. To augment fuel availability and minimize glycogen depletion especially during intermittent bouts of high intensity exercise, we have added a proprietary blend of medium chain triglycerides and oleic acid to Minimus (see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12218743/). These additions are further bolstered by docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid aka fish oil that enhance recovery and mitigate muscle soreness (see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33266318/).

We have been inundated by information regarding the amount and types of dietary protein in our food. Allow me to provide some background information on this topic. Intact protein is comprised of essential and non-essential amino acids. Our body requires the dietary consumption of essential amino acids (EAAs) whereas nonessential amino acids (NEAAs) can be synthesized without the need for their dietary intake. The protein quality or the nutritional benefits of a protein vary significantly from one source to another. Protein quality is determined by the EAA profile, digestibility and bioavailability of amino acids (see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar...xt=Determining the quality of a,FAO/WHO, 1990). In other words, proteins are not created equal. Vegetable proteins must be combined with other vegetable proteins to provide all the necessary EAAS, creating redundant consumption of NEAAS. The digestibility of protein derived from wheat gluten is three times less efficient than protein derived from animal sources. The digestibility of soy protein is similar to sources of meat protein, but the EAA profile of soy protein is inferior to whey protein. We included an instantized profile of EAAs that has been specifically designed to ensure muscle remodeling while optimizing digestibility and bioavailability beyond that of any intact protein. What does this mean? Our provision of instantized EAAs combined with Sacha Inchi (a plant protein with all EAAs with high digestibility/bioavailability) maintain skeletal muscle resilience under conditions of chronic physical activity and negative caloric balance. Minimus is not designed for body building or powerlifting but rather focused on complimenting muscle remodeling for constant activity.

Minimus also contains L-Citrulline to enhance blood flow and reduce muscle soreness, coenzyme Q10 to optimize metabolism during physical activity, and konjac glucomannan to improve satiety and reduce gastrointestinal stress. Of course, the icing on the cake is a complete profile of vitamins and minerals that eliminate the need for that pesky bottle of tablets/capsules in your kit.

I hope this information sheds some light on the nutritional value of Minimus. The overarching take home points are that the development of this product was informed by the first peer-reviewed publications on physiological stress of backcountry hunting. Second, not all calories are created equal. The calorie to weight ratio is just a starting point, not an end point. Third, the carbohydrate, fat, protein aka amino acids contained in Minimus have been further informed by decades of scientific investigation. Finally, the nutritive benefits of Minimus are not found in any other food product.

Use it by itself and/or supercharge your kit!

I'm curious, is the amount of "Protein" that is provided by the EAA blend accounted for in the nutritional label under grams of protein?

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[gtriple]

This is pretty awesome sounding stuff. Looking forward to adding this to my summer prep trips and fall hunts.

 

[RHCOKER]

Clarktar - Yes. The provision of EAAs is counted as protein in the nutrition facts label. Due to significant differences related to the EAA profile and their improved digestibility and bioavailability, EAAs are generally 2.5x-3.0x more effective maintaining skeletal muscle compared to intact protein. We have taken advantage of these physiological differences to reduce weight and volume associated with Minimus.

 

[Clarktar]

Clarktar - Yes. The provision of EAAs is counted as protein in the nutrition facts label. Due to significant differences related to the EAA profile and their improved digestibility and bioavailability, EAAs are generally 2.5x-3.0x more effective maintaining skeletal muscle compared to intact protein. We have taken advantage of these physiological differences to reduce weight and volume associated with Minimus.

Thanks. So 2.5x - 3.0x.....

I'm simple and need to double check my paraphrase with you. So 5 grams of minimus protein (from that EAA blend) is similar to 12.5-15 g of intact protein (like the protein found in a stock peak Refuel meal)?

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[gtriple]

Thanks. So 2.5x - 3.0x.....

I'm simple and need to double check my paraphrase with you. So 5 grams of minimus protein (from that EAA blend) is similar to 12.5-15 g of intact protein (like the protein found in a stock peak Refuel meal)?

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Tacking onto this question... can you explain the application a little more? E.g.... do I simply swap 1 gram of normal protein for 1 gram of Minimus protein? Or do you do 3 grams of normal for 1 gram of Minimus.

Same question for calories... Should I reduce my caloric intake when adding minimus? Or is it just a 1:1 swap?

 

[RHCOKER]

You can assume a 3:1 protein to EAA equivalent when using Minimus. Therefore, the superior influence of individual EAAs on skeletal muscle resilience compared to intact protein allow a reduction in overall caloric intake, decreasing food kit weight. We have found that adventure athletes (ie., Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic and the Yukon Arctic Ultra) as well as backcountry hunters maintain muscle and function quite well with a 2k caloric deficit/day over a 7 to 14 day period. LB and I are doing a few podcasts on this topic in the future. We will be sure to post those links.

 

[Marbles]

We have found that adventure athletes (ie., Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic and the Yukon Arctic Ultra) as well as backcountry hunters maintain muscle and function quite well with a 2k caloric deficit/day over a 7 to 14 day period. LB and I are doing a few podcasts on this topic in the future. We will be sure to post those links.

I have suspected, based on theory and eating patters of various primitive people's, that the human body holds up to short duration calorie deficits well. It is nice to have actual data to support that.

My only data point is that for short length endurance (less tha 6 hours of activity) "fueling" makes things mentally easier, but does not appear to alter pace (though I appear run at a higher heart rate for the same pace if I'm eating carbs). Given the conventional wisdom, I think the placebo effect of "fueling" is mentally helpful. I will see if data going against that thinking helps me skip snacking on runs.

 

[Clarktar]

Haven't listened to this yet but thought I would share here.

Minimus Nutrition - Rokslide

This week on the show, Ryan has Larry Bartlett and DR. Robert Coker on to discuss the backcountry hunting study and Minimus Nutrition. Minimus Nutrition® is a Food Science Marvel for the Backcountry The Nutrient Dense Lightweight Powder that Revolutionizes Backcountry Nutrition!

www.rokslide.com

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[V2Pnutrition]

Always looking to maximize nutritional content and happy to augment existing meals or utilize as a meal replacement.

Looking forward to @V2Pnutrition ‘s opinion.

Happy to answer any questions you have specifically about nutrition @PNWGATOR .

 

[gtriple]

You can assume a 3:1 protein to EAA equivalent when using Minimus. Therefore, the superior influence of individual EAAs on skeletal muscle resilience compared to intact protein allow a reduction in overall caloric intake, decreasing food kit weight. We have found that adventure athletes (ie., Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic and the Yukon Arctic Ultra) as well as backcountry hunters maintain muscle and function quite well with a 2k caloric deficit/day over a 7 to 14 day period. LB and I are doing a few podcasts on this topic in the future. We will be sure to post those links.

In your podcast, Larry mentions that he is down to 2300 or 2100 calories per day total when using Minimus. But he never mentions what he started with originally.

So my question is... when swapping in Minimus for standard calories, what is the recommended ratio for Minimus Calorie to Non-Minimus Calorie?

E.g. Can I remove 300 non-minimus calories for each 100 minimus calories?

If I consume 1 packet of each flavor per day, that would be a total of 440 calories. If my current max consumption for a full day of rigorous effort is about 2500 calories, how many non-Minimus calories would you recommend I consume?

 

[RHCOKER]

Instead of focusing on calories alone, I would start with the amount of essential amino acids (EAAs) in Minimus to guide your efforts. These EAAs are at least 2.5x more efficient in promoting muscle remodeling than intact protein. Therefore, you can potentially reduce the consumption of intact protein by as much as 50%. Based on the energy expenditure data from the backcountry hunting studies, we can also infer an average female total energy expenditure (TEE ) of ~3000 calories/day, suggesting low to moderate intensity exercise intensity. Under these circumstances, the the International Society of Sports Nutrition generally recommends 200-300 grams of carbohydrate/day. With some quick calculations including 250 grams of carbohydrate/day and 25% of the diet in fat, this would put a 55 kg or a 120 lb female at ~1700 calories/day. If you know that your TEE is higher due to a higher exercise intensity throughout the day, you can increase the amount of carbohydrate to support that activity. For frame of reference, elite female athletes in the Yukon Arctic Ultra and Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic have an average TEE of ~4000-5000 calories/day. I hope this information is helpful.

 

[gtriple]

Instead of focusing on calories alone, I would start with the amount of essential amino acids (EAAs) in Minimus to guide your efforts. These EAAs are at least 2.5x more efficient in promoting muscle remodeling than intact protein. Therefore, you can potentially reduce the consumption of intact protein by as much as 50%. Based on the energy expenditure data from the backcountry hunting studies, we can also infer an average female total energy expenditure (TEE ) of ~3000 calories/day, suggesting low to moderate intensity exercise intensity. Under these circumstances, the the International Society of Sports Nutrition generally recommends 200-300 grams of carbohydrate/day. With some quick calculations including 250 grams of carbohydrate/day and 25% of the diet in fat, this would put a 55 kg or a 120 lb female at ~1700 calories/day. If you know that your TEE is higher due to a higher exercise intensity throughout the day, you can increase the amount of carbohydrate to support that activity. For frame of reference, elite female athletes in the Yukon Arctic Ultra and Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic have an average TEE of ~4000-5000 calories/day. I hope this information is helpful.

It's very helpful and even good for a laugh. I should have known I'd be mistaken for a female when I put my fiancée's pic as my profile pic!

 

[Larry Bartlett]

gtriple, I concur with Coker's reply, but to simplify it more I'd consider what MY starting field kit would be like without Minimus. When Minimus is not used and therefore protein sources being intact proteins, the target for a field diet on moderate intensity hunts is 1gm/kg of body weight per day. I'm 195-lbs = 88-90 gm protein per day and a goal of 2500 cals per day. If you like to push the protein requirement to shave a few more ounces, our studies demonstrate lean muscle mass preservation is possible until our protein intake falls below 0.7gm/kg body weight per day (62gm protein/day minimum for my 195-lb body weight).

Now that Minimus is available, using three doses daily provides >20gm essential amino acids (equal to roughly 50 gm intact protein.) With that, my food protein (intact proteins) can be whittled to around 40gm daily plus the >20gm essential amino acids provision of 3 Minimus pkts. My calorie count with Minimus and other field food is 2,100-2,300 cals per day. Expect to burn averages of 4300 cals per day. Now on float drags i lose a predictable 4-5 pounds body fat and actually gain 1-2% lean muscle mass on a 10-day hunt, demonstrated with both MRI and DEXAscan.

edit for granularity: On our Hunt Studies, not every participant's TEE was 4,300 cals per day. The amount of TEE is proportional to lean muscle mass for the most part.

 

[S.Clancy]

@Clarktar So you're saying this stuff is better than 40 Snickers....?

 

[Clarktar]

@Clarktar So you're saying this stuff is better than 40 Snickers....?

If we could combine your physiological power to consume garbage with no adverse effects with my power to hydrate through environmental osmosis we would reach evolutionary perfection for homo sapiens.

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[S.Clancy]

If we could combine your physiological power to consume garbage with no adverse effects with my power to hydrate through environmental osmosis we would reach evolutionary perfection for homo sapiens.

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Recovery from MTB ride this morning was 4 eggs, deer sausage, veg and a bagel....plus a humongous bowl of Coco Puffs!

 

[Clarktar]

Some information in this podcast that is relevant to this discussion (while the entire podcast is interesting it's the second half that is relevant to this thread topic)

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[NRA4LIFE]

Wow, great read Mr. Coker. Thanks for posting.