I suspect this wasn't on the menu.
Posted on 10/19/2018 6:17:38 AM PDT by C19fan
The U-2 spy plane was famous for pushing pilot endurance to the limit. The slow, high-flying aircraft flew for up to nine hours at a time, with a single pilot guiding the plane, taking pictures of the ground below, and occasionally dodging surface-to-air missiles.
Nine hours is a long time to be cooped up in a plane without a real bathroom—or to be stuck in a small space with the smell of your own fart. So the CIA actually prescribed a proper diet for U-2 pilots to avoid the need to poop or pass gas.
I suspect this wasn't on the menu.
From the article: “(Kimchi was definitely not on the good list.)“
“or to be stuck in a small space with the smell of your own fart”
Is this what passes as good journalism at Popular Mechanics today?
“Controlled feeding of a high protein, low residue diet for mission pilots should begin twenty-four hours prior to take-off. The objective of this controlled die is to provide foods which can be almost completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, thereby leaving a minimum of residue for the formation of feces and intestinal gases.”
Brutal! I've been consuming a high protein diet for years, but I supplement with fiber to help ease that process. This would be torturous.
“This obviates the need for frequent defecation and decreases the likelihood of significant gaseous expansion in the intestinal tract.” Recommended foods included coffee, tea, rice, noodles, cottage cheese, eggs, meat, soups, sweets, and vegetables.
Foods not recommended? Milk, bread, “rich” desserts such as pies and pastries, fried foods, fatty foods, fruit, pickles, nuts, and of course, cheese.
Obviously the progenitors of MREs — meals rarely excreted.
MREs do that
This is one of THOSE headlines that says:
“That’s disgusting!
But, I have to click and read it because...well...poop.”
That might explain the traditional steak and egg breakfast for astronauts. However, Marines did this before going into battle.
That’s easy. Low carb/low fiber diet for 48 hours preceeding, and a laxative 18-24 hours before if a ‘clearing’ movement has not occurred.
“Nine hours is a long time to be cooped up in a plane without a real bathroom...”
That leaves me out.
My understanding was that most MREs are designed to minimize defecation. Lord knows those biscuits were enough to stop an elephant’s digestive tract!
Coffee was on the list. Coffee makes me hit the can every morning
[Brutal! I’ve been consuming a high protein diet for years, but I supplement with fiber to help ease that process. This would be torturous.]
If the fiber gets to be too much for you, also try some “Natural Calm”. Keeps everything moving.
Too bad they didn’t just put a poop ejection port in the U2. That would have been a pretty funny thing to dump on Ivan.
I hate to ask, but what about urination?
There was a tube connected to you know what.
So THAT is why Dr. Sheldon Cooper never flew for NASA...
Magnesium, eh? I’ll have to look into that. I’ve been taking Metamucil for 10 years and have no problems with “the go” unless I have a particularly heavy week in the gym.
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