Effects of caffeine, sleep loss, and stress on cognitive performance and mood during U.S. Navy SEAL training
Rationale. When humans are acutely exposed to multiple stressors, cognitive performance is substantially degraded. Few practical strategies are available to sustain performance under such conditions.
Objective. This study examined whether moderate doses of caffeine would reduce adverse effects of sleep deprivation and exposure to severe environmental and operational stress on cognitive performance.
Methods. Volunteers were 68 U.S. Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) trainees, randomly assigned to receive either 100, 200, or 300 mg caffeine or placebo in capsule form after 72 h of sleep deprivation and continuous exposure to other stressors. Cognitive tests administered included scanning visual vigilance, four-choice visual reaction time, a matching-to-sample working memory task and a repeated acquisition test of motor learning and memory. Mood state, marksmanship, and saliva caffeine were also assessed. Testing was conducted 1 and 8 h after treatment.
Results. Sleep deprivation and environmental stress adversely affected performance and mood. Caffeine, in a dose-dependent manner, mitigated many adverse effects of exposure to multiple stressors. Caffeine (200 and 300 mg) significantly improved visual vigilance, choice reaction time, repeated acquisition, self-reported fatigue and sleepiness with the greatest effects on tests of vigilance, reaction time, and alertness. Marksmanship, a task that requires fine motor coordination and steadiness, was not affected by caffeine. The greatest effects of caffeine were present 1 h post-administration, but significant effects persisted for 8 h.
Conclusions. Even in the most adverse circumstances, moderate doses of caffeine can improve cognitive function, including vigilance, learning, memory, and mood state. When cognitive performance is critical and must be maintained during exposure to severe stress, administration of caffeine may provide a significant advantage. A dose of 200 mg appears to be optimal under such conditions.
The effects of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap on early morning performance.
The effect on performance and sleepiness of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap (2100h and 0430h, respectively) were compared with a control condition (no nap). Twelve healthy male subjects divided into three groups participated in a partly balanced repeated measurements design. At all three occasions the subjects slept 4 h during the preceding night, worked during the day and were then kept awake (except for naps) in the laboratory from 1700h to 0800h the following morning. Performance was measured through a 10-min single choice visual reaction time task administered at 1900h and 0700h. Sleepiness was measured through self-ratings and sleep latency tests at 2100h and 0600h. The results showed clear positive effects of naps (especially the 0430h nap) on performance. The sleep latency measurements showed similar, but less clear tendencies, while ratings of sleepiness did not differentiate between conditions. It was concluded that a one-hour nap could counteract the late night performance decrement.
Caffeine effects on marksmanship during high-stress military training with 72 hour sleep deprivation.
PURPOSE: Navy SEALs (sea, air, land) are elite special warfare units that conduct unconventional warfare primarily in marine environments. Marksmanship accuracy and sighting time were quantified with 62 male trainees during Navy SEAL Hell Week, which involves the combined stress of sleep loss, operational combat scenarios, and cold-wet environmental conditions. Caffeine was administered to minimize deficits due to sleep deprivation. METHODS: Volunteers dry-fired a disabled rifle equipped with a laser-based marksmanship simulator system to measure shooting speed and accuracy. The target was a 2.3-cm diameter circle at a distance of 5 m, simulating a 46 cm target at a distance of 50 m. Marksmanship was assessed prior to training, and at 73 and 80 h into Hell Week. Volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: 100, 200, or 300 mg of caffeine or a placebo. Dosing occurred 72 h after training commenced. RESULTS: The combined effects of almost 73 h of total sleep deprivation and operational and environmental stress degraded all marksmanship accuracy measures (p < 0.05) as shown by the 37.5% increase in percent of targets missed, 38% increase in distance from center of mass of the target, and the 235% increase in shot group tightness. Sighting time increased by 53% or 3.1 s after 73 h of sleep deprivation (p < 0.05). Sighting time was significantly faster in sleep deprived individuals after taking 200 or 300 mg of caffeine compared with placebo or 100 mg of caffeine. No differences in accuracy measures between caffeine treatment groups were evident at any test period. CONCLUSION: During periods of sleep deprivation combined with other stressors, the use of 200 or 300 mg of caffeine enabled SEAL trainees to sight the target and pull the trigger faster without compromising shooting accuracy.