Tactical Nutrition Using PLT Health and CellFlo6® with Chris Lobb and Brett Bernier

0:00 – Introductions

Chris Lobb spent nearly 13 years in the Army, 10 in special operations, including five years with the 10th Special Forces Group and two deployments to Afghanistan. After retiring in late 2024, he’s working as a contractor continuing to train military personnel in the same community. A collegiate soccer player before enlisting, he came to performance nutrition through operational necessity. His connection to PLT Health Solutions runs entirely through CellFlo6®.

Brett Bernier started as a Marine Corps scout swimmer and assault climber, then built a career in biopharmaceutical science, including work on the Human Genome Project. He’s since spent 16 years in dietary supplements: the first half on the brand side (VP of innovation and science), then on the ingredient supply side, currently as Director of Sports and Active Nutrition at PLT Health Solutions. Both guests bring lived performance experience that goes far beyond the gym.

4:30 – Tactical Nutrition: The Core Need States

Brett and Chris converge on four critical need states for special operations personnel: sustained energy, endurance, hydration and electrolyte support, and recovery. Brett draws on his Marine service (hauling 75 to 125-pound packs as an assault climber and scout swimmer) to explain why a steady baseline matters far more than a stimulant spike. When you’re at a listening post for 12 to 24 hours needing steady hands for weapons and explosives, being fully amped up is a liability, not an asset.

Chris adds the cognitive dimension. High operational tempo in Afghanistan meant going out on missions nearly every night, which demanded both physical readiness and sharp mental performance simultaneously. Recovery windows were unpredictable, so any ingredient that could support cognitive function across a long operation without crashing afterward was genuinely valuable: not a fitness luxury, but an operational edge.

9:45 – The CellFlo6® Origin Story: Afghanistan 2019

In 2019, Chris arrived in Afghanistan a month behind his team after staying stateside for the birth of his fourth child. Struggling to get up to speed at altitude and under a brutal op tempo, he connected through family with Matt Nickerson, the inventor of CellFlo6®. A week later, a trash bag of unlabeled aluminum foil capsule packets arrived at the team house (no label, no branding), and Chris volunteered to test them.

PLT Health Solutions has teamed up with CellFlo6, a patented green tea extract making waves in the supplement and beverage industries.

He took three capsules on a rest day, noticed a clear difference in energy and focus, and then brought them on a mission that night in place of his usual cargo pockets full of Rip It® energy drinks. Without the spike-and-crash cycle he was used to, he stayed mentally steady throughout the operation. His entire team adopted CellFlo6 by deployment’s end, a full five years before PLT Health’s commercial partnership with the ingredient launched. Read the full backstory in our CellFlo6 x PLT Health article.

14:15 – Operations Tempo and Sleep Management

The pace of operations in Afghanistan rarely allowed for a consistent sleep schedule. Missions typically launched at sunset and concluded around midday the next day, though some lasted just a couple of hours and others stretched across multiple days. Chris’s post-mission ritual was simple: everyone ate together first, no debrief, just food and quiet decompression. After that, the team scattered to rest until the next call came.

Ben cites research from an ISSN conference presentation showing that SERE School (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training crushes the endocrine system severely enough that full recovery takes far longer than typical athletic stress. The sleep-supplement challenge in these environments is real: anything that sedates too deeply risks leaving an operator unable to respond when called. The goal isn’t sedation. It’s controlled decompression.

17:00 – Managing Energy Without Crashing

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With unpredictable sleep windows and zero tolerance for grogginess, energy management in tactical settings is genuinely complex. Brett suggests undershooting stimulant doses to stay safe, then stacking a non-stimulant option as a bump later in the shift. Ben raises Zembrin (a Sceletium tortuosum extract) as a strong option for post-mission use: it supports calm focus without sedation, helping operators transition out of a heightened state without putting them down for the count.

Mike introduces another ingredient he recently covered: Serezin, a boswellia-based extract that works on what he describes as a sleep-pain axis. Rather than acting as a direct sleep aid, it interrupts the inflammation feedback loop that can prevent rest after significant physical stress. Brett notes an added practical benefit: it doesn’t need to be taken immediately before sleep, making timing far more flexible in unpredictable operational schedules.

21:00 – What Is CellFlo6®?

Brett formally introduces CellFlo6 as a concentrated green tea extract built around two catechin dimers in high concentration: EGCG and ECG. These compounds support endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation, driving both cerebral and peripheral blood flow. At a 300mg to 600mg dose, it delivers those effects in a compact package with low weight and no stimulant burden, which suits tactical applications well.

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Beyond the blood flow mechanism, Brett notes a cognitive clarity component: a “reduction of noise” that improves attention and task focus. CellFlo6 works quickly (within 15 to 20 minutes), doesn’t over-stimulate, and doesn’t interfere with rest afterward. Mike connects this episode to previous PLT Health coverage, including Episode #146 on PLT’s cognitive ingredients and Episode #187 with Strom Sports, which dug into CellFlo6’s performance applications in a bodybuilding context.

23:00 – Blood Flow, Cognition, and Hydration Effects

Mike draws a connection between CellFlo6’s blood flow mechanism and the cognition literature on arginine-based ingredients: when cerebral blood flow improves, cognitive performance tends to follow. For Chris, the proof was entirely practical. His wife could tell when he was on CellFlo6 and when he wasn’t, because his memory and focus were noticeably sharper on it. He attributes much of that to the cerebral blood flow component, given the TBIs accumulated over a career in special operations.

Brett adds that multiple testers across different sports (martial artists, boxers, and other athletes) report what appears to be an intramuscular hydration effect when taking CellFlo6. Soreness drops while on the ingredient and returns when they stop. Whether that connects to the nitric oxide mechanism, intramuscular water retention, or something else in the catechin profile isn’t fully understood yet, but the pattern appears consistent enough across testers to merit further investigation.

27:15 – CellFlo6® in the Stack: Where Does It Fit?

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Brett sees CellFlo6 fitting naturally in non-stimulant pre-workouts (stacked with citrulline, arginine, or nitrates for enhanced blood flow synergy), recovery formulas targeting DOMS and whole-body repair, and even greens products, where CellFlo6 could deliver a sensory signal that those categories typically lack. He also cites potential in joint health formulas given the catechin data on antioxidant support, where the experiential feedback could meaningfully improve compliance. See our Formulator’s Corner PLT Health pre-workout breakdown for stacking ideas.

Mike frames CellFlo6 as a near-universal stack addition, drawing a parallel to how green tea has been a health staple in East Asian culture for generations, providing catechin benefits that most Western caffeine-forward supplement users simply don’t get. Chris says his personal preference is a nootropic or stim-free product, since cognitive performance is where he feels the ingredient most clearly. The group agrees: green tea extracts are underused in Western supplement culture, and CellFlo6 gives formulators a more targeted way to bring those benefits to consumers.

31:45 – Packing for Operations: Weight, Water, and Format

At 115 pounds of body armor and kit, every ounce of supplementation must justify its weight. Chris explains why protein powder was a non-starter in Afghanistan: the water requirement made it impractical when Camelback capacity was limited and resupply was uncertain. Any format that doesn’t require water wins immediately. The capsules he received from Matt Nickerson were close to ideal on that basis alone.

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Ben references Spencer’s talk at the Sports and Active Nutrition Summit on MRE caloric density: in a performance state, carbohydrates and fats are the priority macronutrients, not protein. For operations, calorie density per ounce carried is the real currency. The conversation shifts toward what truly optimal tactical supplementation could look like with modern delivery format options, and the group agrees that innovations in gummies, lozenges, and dissolvable strips could change the game for this use case.

33:30 – Tactical Delivery Innovation: Gummies, Strips, and Lozenges

Ben pitches what he calls the “fruit by the foot” concept: a dissolvable strip where operators can tear off more as needed, with stimulant sections and non-stimulant sections (adaptogens, blood flow support) divided along the strip. The idea generates immediate enthusiasm. Brett extends it to a Nerds-rope format where each component is a separate segment, allowing flexible dosing across the duration of an operation. Mike zeros in on stacking Rhodiolife® (PLT’s beverage-stable rhodiola extract) alongside CellFlo6 and a timed-caffeine source.

Brett confirms that a gummy or lozenge format for zümXR® is actively being explored. The appeal is clear: a compact, quiet, water-free delivery format that lets an operator titrate both stimulant and non-stimulant dosing throughout an op, carry more function per ounce, and keep a dry mouth while doing it. Brett and Chris both note that even slight noise from pill bottles can be an issue in certain environments, making format innovation more than an aesthetic choice.

39:00 – Creatine for SOCOM and MRE Reform

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Ben recounts a meeting with Marcus Luttrell in Washington, DC, where the Navy SEAL author is advocating to have creatine officially provided to SOCOM. The group treats this as an encouraging signal: if creatine is being considered for military-issue use, functional ingredients with a solid science base (including PLT’s portfolio) are probably not far behind. Chris confirms the slow-moving nature of government nutrition policy: when he was deployed in 2017, a sports nutrition team visited his outpost to assess MRE deficiencies, but meaningful change never materialized.

Brett pushes for macro-level MRE reform as the higher-priority intervention. Current MREs tend to be calorically dense in ways that can actually dehydrate soldiers and miss the optimal fuel ratios for sustained output. He points to the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center as the right venue to drive that kind of systemic change. The broader theme: the military nutrition infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with what ingredient science can now offer.

41:45 – Optimization vs. Endurance: SOCOM Performance Culture

Chris draws a sharp distinction between how the civilian fitness world and SOCOM define “optimization.” In civilian sport, optimization means improving toward a theoretical maximum, with full recovery built in. In special operations, it means getting the minimum viable recovery done as fast as possible so you can perform at a high level again immediately. Ben cites the cultural baseline: whoever endures the most is the best. Peak output and personal optimization are luxuries.

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The group also revisits Rip It® energy drinks, the unofficial supplement of the US military for years. Chris clarifies his earlier comments: they served their role well given the options available, and handing them out to local kids on patrol was a genuine highlight. But their nutritional profile was far from ideal for sustained operational performance, and the recent shift toward brands like Ghost and Redcon entering military culture signals that quality expectations are rising across the community.

47:15 – Caffeine Science and the zümXR® Advantage

Mike runs through the dosing consensus: 400mg of caffeine per day is the threshold both the FDA and Health Canada identify as safe for most adults. Above a gram a day, the conversation shifts to reduction strategies. The real question for tactical users isn’t whether to use caffeine, it’s how to deploy it intelligently: timing, dose shape, and release profile matter as much as the dose itself.

Brett shares a preview of new zümXR data. In a study using higher caffeine doses, the extended-release profile delivered the positive performance benefits (energy, focus, strength outcomes) while significantly reducing the negatives (jitters, shakes). That’s exactly what a tactical user needs: the upside of caffeine without the fine motor disruption. For the full breakdown on how zümXR works, see our zümXR extended-release caffeine article.

49:30 – Going 18X-Ray: Chris’s Path to Special Forces

Dive into PLT Health’s cognitive platform with Steve Fink and Dr. Jeremy Appleton, exploring Zynamite, Zembrin, and Vanizem’s impact on brain health in Episode #146 of the PricePlow Podcast

Chris’s path to Special Forces started with a jury duty conversation. A stranger suggested he look into it, and he signed an 18X-Ray contract out of college: a direct pipeline from basic training through Airborne School and into the Special Forces Qualification Course, contingent on passing selection. He walked in with no prior military experience and, in his words, no real idea what he was doing. As a collegiate athlete, he was physically ready. Tactically, he was a blank slate.

Looking back from the assessor’s chair (where he later evaluated candidates himself), he sees both sides of that. No bad habits, strong work ethic, physically capable — but no frame of reference for small unit tactics or military structure. He leaned hard on the knowledge of experienced teammates and learned to treat ignorance as something to address aggressively rather than hide. His phrase: “It’s hard to feel tall in a room full of giants.”

56:00 – The Many Hats of a Green Beret

Chris pushes back on the popular portrayal of Special Forces as purely direct-action operators. Green Berets’ traditional role is training and advising indigenous forces in austere environments. In practice, that means switching fluidly between being a survival instructor, demolitions engineer, property manager, small-unit tactics trainer, and language liaison, often on the same day. Chris speaks Levantine Arabic at a working proficiency level, adding language to the already large stack of required capabilities.

The cognitive demands are enormous, and that’s precisely the point. Most of what Special Forces does is teach, plan, and advise rather than kick doors. For Ben, this reframes tactical nutrition entirely: much of the cognitive load Chris describes has nothing to do with combat and everything to do with sustained mental performance across a sprawling, shifting skill set, often on little sleep and in physically degraded condition.

58:30 – Tactical Nutrition Across Life Phases

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Chris shares a multi-phase framework for how he thinks about tactical nutrition: pre-event training (which he views as constant and ongoing), during-event fueling (heavy on carbohydrates and fats, light on protein), post-event recovery, and long-term recovery. He’s now in that final phase after two hip surgeries before leaving the Army, trying to maintain fitness as a contractor, instructor, and father without the operational tempo that once drove everything.

One finding stood out. Despite months away from running while recovering, he says his cardio baseline has stayed higher than he’d expect, and he credits CellFlo6 directly. The ingredient isn’t replacing training, but it appears to support cardiovascular conditioning in a way he notices most clearly when he stops taking it. For a broader look at PLT’s ingredient portfolio beyond sports nutrition, see our PLT Health joint health platform article.

1:02:30 – Holistic Supplement Philosophy

When Ben asks Chris which brands he recommends when tactical community members ask for guidance, the answer is consistent: CellFlo6 first, both because it works and because of the relationship with Matt Nickerson, who has repeatedly gone out of his way to support Chris and his colleagues personally. Beyond that, Chris gravitates toward holistic, nature-based products. PLT’s ingredient-first philosophy (natural extracts, adaptogens, boswellia derivatives, and green tea components) aligns closely with that instinct.

Mike wraps with a public declaration: he wants to get zümXR into a water-based canned beverage format. Expensive, technically challenging, possibly prohibitively so — but he wants to show it’s possible, even if just as a proof of concept. Sign up for PLT Health news alerts on PricePlow to follow that project and all upcoming PLT Health ingredient announcements.