Fueling for a 24-hour shift

By Andrea Givens, O2X Nutrition Specialist

Ways to be Successful During a Long Shift

As a firefighter, food fuels your body for your day's physical and cognitive demands. As such, nutrition (food) should be considered part of the tools and equipment required to do your job. You would never head out without boots or your radio; nutrition on shift should also be second nature. To set yourself up for success, go into every shift with an action plan, such as prepping and bringing in 3 meals and 1-2 snacks for your shift, planning to make food together at the station, or occasionally, grabbing takeout. Due to the uncertain nature of your job, you should also have a backup and emergency food plan; that way, you are always prepared and never left with an empty energy tank. Your backup plan could be bringing and freezing extra leftovers or having healthy frozen meals stocked in the freezer. An emergency food plan may be stashing a box of energy bars or a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit in your locker or gear. Some firehouses have community bowls of energy bars + fruit out on the counter instead of candy bowls for quick energy on the go.

Times to Eat

Fueling for your shift starts in the day(s) prior to ensure you arrive on shift with a full energy tank and are well hydrated. This means eating regular meals on your days off and, as a starting point, consuming roughly half your body weight in oz of water daily (e.g., 95 oz water for a 190 lb person). For sustained energy levels around the clock and optimal metabolic health, aim to have your main meals within a 10–12-hour window during the daytime, for example, 7:00am-7:00pm or 9:00am-7:00pm, with your last main meal ~3 hours before bed to allow time to digest for quality nighttime sleep. If you have diabetes or abnormal blood sugar levels, it is advantageous to skew larger meals earlier in the day. As the saying goes, "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." However, frontloading your calories is less relevant if you exercise later in the day. 

Amount to Consume

If you are awake working at night and need to eat outside of your normal 10-12 hour eating period to abate hunger or safely stay awake, reach for minimally processed, micronutrient-dense, satiating snacks that are around 10% of your total daily energy needs (~200-300 kcals for 2400 kcal diet). Higher protein, lower carbohydrate, easy-to-digest snacks are ideal during the nighttime period because blood sugar tolerance is reduced, blood lipids can increase, and gastric emptying is slower: reach for 1-2 hard-boiled eggs, 5 oz Greek- yogurt, 1-2 oz beef jerky, ¼ cup walnuts, almonds, pistachios, vegetables such as baby carrots, tomatoes, mini cucumbers, baby bell peppers, fruits like berries, apples, kiwis, cherries, and high protein ready-to-drink options like Muscle Milk, Premier Protein, or Chobani Complete. 

Preliminary research in shift workers showed that a small snack (200-300 kcals ≈ 10% of daily energy intake) consumed at 1:30am resulted in better cognitive performance during a simulated driving task at 4:00am (quicker reaction time, less errors, lasted longer before first crash) and less subjective sleepiness compared with no eating or a larger meal containing 30% (~700 kcal) of daily energy intake. In this instance, the small snack reduced hunger to a comparable extent to the larger meal without leading to significant digestive discomfort. What's more, a larger study conducted on firefighters showed confining major meals to a 10-hour daytime window improved blood sugar, blood lipids, blood pressure, and importantly, firefighters were able to adhere to the eating schedule over 14-weeks without any adverse effects.

Sustained energy during your shift comes from hydration and balanced meals that include lean protein, carbohydrates, and color (fruit/vegetables). Here is a tactical athlete performance plate template to construct your meals:

• One-third of the plate lean protein (palm of your hand)
• One-third of the plate carbohydrate (1-2 fists)
• One-third of the plate color (2 fists)
• Flavor your meal with fat (avocado, olive oil-based dressing, seeds, cheese)

What Not to Consume

Avoid large portions of high-fat meals the night before and during your shift such as greasy and fried foods and desserts. Fat fills your stomach but leaves your muscles empty, causing lethargy and that "dragging" feeling during physical tasks. The O2X app has an impressive recipe library full of nutritious and delicious meals. You can also "lighten up" your own traditional firehouse meals by swapping in whole grains, adding vegetable side dishes, and choosing leaner proteins to your familiar recipes. No food prepared? Instead of stopping by fast food, stop by any grocery store for a quick meal: turkey sandwich from the deli + fresh orange, bag salad + rotisserie chicken + microwave rice packet, greek yogurt + pint of berries + 100 cal bag of almonds, tuna packet + crackers + apple, high protein oatmeal + banana. 

While meals should include protein, carbohydrate, and color, aim for just two of these pairings for snacks: protein + carbohydrate (tuna + crackers) or protein + color (Greek yogurt + berries). Snacks are beneficial to bridge energy gaps between meals and provide an opportunity to get in more fruits and vegetables (hummus + bell peppers, celery + peanut butter, edamame). Keep nutrient-dense snacks on hand: individually wrapped cheese snacks + crackers, tuna packets, lean beef jerky, mixed nuts, peanut butter filled pretzels, single-serve Greek yogurt; single serve cottage cheese, dried fruit: raisins, apricots, mango (no sugar added), snack bars: Kind, Rx, Perfect Bar (look for <10g added sugar). Before working out, a carbohydrate-rich snack such as a banana or granola bar will provide fuel for 45–60-minute session. Post-workout, follow the performance plate template for a meal, making sure you have carbohydrates to refuel, protein to rebuild, and fluids to rehydrate. Not having a meal right away? Recovery nutrition could be a ready-to-drink protein shake + banana or a homemade smoothie with 25 g whey protein isolate + frozen fruit + handful greens + water or your favorite milk.

Benefits to Muscles

Muscle is an important part of the functionality of being a firefighter and is a key determinant of cardiometabolic health. Consuming high-quality protein with meals and snacks is crucial to support building and maintaining muscle. Protein is also very satiating and can help keep you full between meals and help with portion control for weight management. Lastly, protein plays a vital role in immune function. Evenly distribute protein across meals and snacks. Aim for 0.25-0.40 g protein/kg body weight per meal or snack, up to 1.2-2.0 g/kg/day. For example, an individual that weighs 190 lbs should have 20-35 grams of protein at each meal or snack, up to 100-175 grams total for the day. The following have at least 20 grams of protein: 3 whole eggs, two 5.3 oz Oikos triple zero Greek yogurts, 3 oz lean meat (sirloin, chicken breast, >90% lean ground turkey or beef), 4 oz salmon, 8 oz tofu, 1 cup cottage cheese. 

Routine

Your behaviors during your meal may be just as important as what you're eating. When able, try to take at least 20 minutes to eat and practice mindfulness: screens down, set utensils down in between bites, have a glass of water along with a meal, and sip between bites. Use a smaller size plate or bowl and wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds. Consume the carbohydrate portion of the meal last if pre-diabetic when practical. This means consuming fiber and protein-rich salads before meals or eating meat and vegetables before carbohydrate-rich foods. Take a 5-minute walk after a meal, or at least stand after eating-perfect timing to wash dishes.

Caffeine Limitations

Caffeine is tempting to lean on during 24-hour shifts, but it is important to know it is a central nervous system stimulant, making you feel awake and alert (and makes exercise feel easier), but it does not provide you with energy. Only food does that! Caffeine affects everyone differently, so avoid it if you respond negatively. For regular users, find a minimum effective dose to preserve the beneficial alertness effect for when you may really need it. Moderate consumption is up to 2 mg/kg/day (~170 mg for a 190 lb person); limit 24-hour total intake to 400 mg, or 6 mg/kg/day. Give yourself a caffeine curfew; that is, don't consume ~6 hours before you want to fall asleep. Caffeine content from different sources: home-brewed/coffeehouse: ~100 mg per 8 oz; energy drinks, pre-workout supplements, sodas vary—check labels. To reduce intake: use a smaller coffee mug, home-brew "half-caff" or ask for it at coffeehouses (half decaf), switch to tea or decaf coffee after your first cup, buy smaller energy drink cans or switch brands (example: 8.4 fl. oz. can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine; 16 oz can of Monster Zero Ultra White 150 mg, 16 oz Bang 300 mg). Check caffeine values here: https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart

Dialing in your nutrition for your shift will immediately improve your energy levels, mood, work performance, and provide long-term benefits to your health. Of course, not every day will be kept perfectly routine, which is why you go in with a backup and emergency plan. As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. Every new day presents an opportunity to reinforce positive habits and get 1% better.

About O2X Nutrition Specialist Andrea Givens:

Andrea Givens, MS, RD, CSSD, is an O2X Nutrition Specialist. Andrea has been a Registered Dietitian for over a decade and is a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She attended San Diego State University for undergrad and completed her dietetic internship through California State University, Sacramento in 2010. Andrea spent her early career building a strong foundation in dietetics working as a clinical dietitian in acute care, including serving veterans as a clinical dietitian at the VA. Transitioning into sports nutrition around 2015, she worked with recreational endurance and CrossFit athletes, Division I collegiate athletes at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, spent the 2018 MLB season as a Sports Science Intern for the San Francisco Giants, and was a Sports Nutrition Fellow for USA Volleyball during an Olympic qualifying year (2019).Andrea returned to school and earned master’s degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology concurrently from San Diego State University in 2020. During her graduate program, she began working in human performance research for the military and published data on metabolic demands of cold-water diving in Naval Special Warfare operators.In addition to providing nutrition expertise to O2X tactical athletes nationwide, Andrea currently works on a physiology team in the Warfighter Performance Department of Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, conducting operationally relevant research to optimize readiness in military personnel. She also volunteers on the Research and Education Committee for the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitian Association and is a member of the Sports and Human Performance Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.A California native, Andrea is an avid outdoor athlete and has crossed the finish line of numerous half marathons, triathlons, 10Ks, summited Half Dome, and swam from Alcatraz. She is a military spouse and has recently learned how to freedive thanks to her husband.