LEXINGTON, Va. June 16, 2026 — The National Institutes of Health reported protein supplement use (PSU) is widespread among U.S. college students. Aurora Abramov ’27, an English major at Virginia Military Institute, observed that military college students are a unique group within the college population, and have received little attention in literature that addresses PSU. Consequently, she chose to research PSU among military college students for her Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project, “Exploring Motivations, Influences, and Perceptions of Protein Supplement for Use Among Military College Students: A Qualitative Approach.”

Abramov, who grew up in the Northern European country of Estonia, came to the U.S. as a teen to be closer to her father and attend high school at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, Virginia. Throughout her life, she has participated in a variety of sports including swimming, running, dancing, horseback riding, and tennis. Though she previously investigated supplement use for her personal consumption, it was after a conversation she had last year with her swim fitness class instructor, Maj. Deanne Moosman, assistant professor in the Department of Human Performance and Wellness, that she decided to conduct a SURI project on the subject. “One day after class, Maj. Moosman and I were having a conversation about supplements. I know a lot about them, and I take many including protein, vitamin D, and vitamin C. A month or so later, she approached me about researching protein supplements, because its use is very common at VMI, and we wanted to explore military college use,” she explained.

With Moosman serving as her faculty mentor, Abramov began her research. She recruited 16 VMI cadets, both male and female, commissioning and non-commissioning; and conducted one-on-one interviews, asking open-ended questions.

Her preliminary findings were that most of the commissioning cadets were more inclined to take protein supplements because they wanted to be physically strong. Whereas there was a mixed response among those not planning to commission. Not surprisingly, she discovered many cadets preferred to get their protein from meals rather than supplements. “They told me if they had to choose between a healthy diet and supplements, they preferred the diet. But they admitted that supplements are a good substitute if they don’t have time for a meal. I was also surprised to discover that many cadets distrust the influencers who promote the supplements, because they earn money from the sales. Cadets prefer to ask friends and family members their opinions about products,” reported Abramov.

Moosman stated Abramov’s project is relevant, since dietary guidelines changed this year. “The protein recommendation significantly increased in 2026, encouraging people to seek out even more protein. So, consumers are reaching for supplements or products that contain added protein. Aurora is using a qualitative approach, which is a great way of capturing the nuances that quantitative research often misses. Her background and experience as an English major are well-suited for this kind of research, which requires strong analytical and interpretive skills, and a lot of writing!”

Abramov will present her project at the VMI Undergraduate Research Symposium. She hopes to continue the study during the next academic year, interviewing more subjects, and collecting more data, in order to meet the requirements for publication in a scientific journal.

Abramov is the daughter of Andrei Abramov, who resides in Maryland, and Oksani Sujetova, who lives in Estonia. She held dual citizenship, but because she plans on commissioning into the Army to work in intelligence, she gave up her Estonian citizenship. She has worked with Rat Challenge since she was a 3^rd Class cadet. In the new academic year, she will serve as assistant cadet in charge within Band Company for Rat Challenge.   

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE