The Ministry of Defence has issued new guidance advising female soldiers to eat roughly twice as much, train harder and get at least seven hours of sleep in order to cope with the physical demands of frontline military roles. The move follows the opening of all combat units — including the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Marines — to women, and matters because very few female recruits have so far managed to meet the required standards, prompting defence chiefs to seek ways of boosting numbers in elite regiments.

Since the rules changed, only women from elite sporting backgrounds have proven capable of passing the toughest tests. A notable example is Captain Rosie Wild, who in 2020 became the first woman to pass P Company — regarded as the hardest series of physical challenges in the regular forces, featuring speed marches with heavy packs and a form of boxing known as 'milling' — and who has since become a professional triathlete. The new guidance, said to be based on the latest science on physical performance, will see servicewomen given tailored advice on fitness, nutrition and sleep to help them serve alongside male colleagues.