Servicewomen are set to have their fitness, nutrition and recovery revolutionised under a world-first dedicated arduous training guide for women in the Armed Forces.
Published today [9 July 2026], the handbook delivers the first Defence-specific guidance on female physiology in military training, drawing on a decade of research and lived experience.
The launch of the guide - intended for immediate use in training and preparation - will ensure women across all three Services have sex-specific guidance in training requirements, nutritional support, and health protection, helping to boost the UK’s warfighting readiness and effectiveness.
Authored by experts across Defence and drawing on tri-Service expertise, the guide provides practical guidance on training, sleep, nutrition, recovery and injury prevention, which have been gathered since the lifting of restrictions on women in ground close combat roles in 2016.
The handbook brings this evidence into practical guidance for servicewomen and those training them, maintaining existing high standards while ensuring personnel can meet them safely and perform at their best. It will be used across the Armed Forces to deliver a unified standard of support for women and help to address the historic gender data gap in Armed Forces training and performance.
The guide sets a new global standard for performance of Servicewomen in the toughest roles, such as
- Training – science-backed programmes that optimise training and recovery for demanding tasks, such as carrying heavy equipment. These programmes account for women’s training needs to ensure they meet the highest requisite standards with minimal risk of injury.
- Nutrition - informed nutritional targets specific to women’s need for energy, protein, iron and vitamin D.
- Hormone health – support to hormone health through better sleep, menstrual cycle tracking, and guidance on hormonal contraceptives. The Guide advises that servicewomen sleeping fewer than the recommended 7–9 hours per night face significantly elevated musculoskeletal injury risk.
- Kit – better-designed clothing, improved-fit body armour, innovative urination systems, emergency period products and disposal systems, and funded sports bras.
Minister for Veterans and People, Calvin Bailey MBE MP, said
Warfighting readiness depends on the strength, resilience and preparation of all our people. I know from my own service that women have always met the toughest standards – but too often without the tailored support they require.
I’m proud that this guide marks a first for UK Defence – ensuring our servicewomen have the tailored, evidence-based support they need to perform at their best and succeed in the most demanding roles.
It is part of our commitment to ensure talent, not background or barriers, determines how far you can go in today’s Armed Forces.
Professor Julie Greeves, Technical Research Director in Physiology, said
Historically, physical performance research has been based on male data. This guide changes that – giving servicewomen the tools to train smarter, reduce injury, and stay in service for longer.
‘Science of Human Performance A guide for servicewomen preparing for arduous courses’ was developed by the Army Health and Performance Research Team following years of pioneering research, including a pilot programme following trainees and servicewomen from first selection to senior operational roles and tracking women in arduous roles.