The Effects of Repeated Operational Stress and Limited Recovery on Resilience Capacity

Launched by UNITED STATES ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE · Jan 14, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how repeated stress and not enough recovery time can affect important aspects of health such as sleep quality, energy levels, and overall physical performance. The researchers want to see how these factors impact muscle protein synthesis (the way our bodies build and repair muscle), iron absorption (how well our bodies take in iron), and overall aerobic performance (how well we can perform physical activities). The study will involve 24 active adults who are either at a normal weight or overweight, and they will go through a series of energy deficit and recovery phases over several days.

To be eligible for this study, participants must be healthy men and women aged 18 to 39 years, who have been stable in their weight for the last two months and are physically active. They should not have any chronic illnesses, injuries, or certain health conditions that could affect their exercise ability. Participants will need to avoid alcohol, nicotine, and certain dietary supplements during the study. If you decide to take part, you can expect to be closely monitored and involved in various exercise and dietary interventions over the course of the trial. This research aims to gather insights that could help improve health and performance for individuals facing similar stressors in their daily lives.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Men and women aged 18 - 39 years (17 - 39 years if military personnel)
• • Weight stable in the past 2 months (± approximately 5 kg)
• • Healthy without evidence of chronic illness or musculoskeletal injury as determined by the USARIEM Office of Medical Support and Oversight (OMSO) or home duty station medical support (HMS)
• • Functional exercise (i.e., step ups, box jumps, body mass movements) and/or aerobic exercise trained defined by self-report as performing ≥ 2 sessions/wk for previous 6 months
• • Willing to refrain from alcohol, smoking any nicotine product (includes e-cigarettes); vaping, chewing tobacco, caffeine not provided in the study, and dietary supplement use throughout the dietary interventions
• • Biological females must be on sustained (i.e., approximately \>3 months) oral/hormonal contraceptive use which acts to maintain continuous hormonal levels (i.e., contains low-dose estrogen/progesterone with no oral placebos, hormonal IUD)
• • Supervisor approval for federal civilian employees and non-HRV active duty military personnel)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Musculoskeletal injuries that compromise exercise capability as determined by OMSO or HMS
• • Metabolic or cardiovascular abnormalities, sleep disorders (i.e., sleep apnea) gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) as determined by OMSO or HMS
• • Abnormal or problems with blood clotting as determined by OMSO or HMS
• • History of complications with lidocaine or similar local anesthetic analogue
• • Present condition of alcoholism, anabolic steroids, or other substance abuse issues
• • Blood donation within 8-wk of beginning or completing study blood draws
• • Current diagnosis of Anemia (hemoglobin \< 13 g/dL for males, hemoglobin \< 12 g/dL for females) and Sickle Cell Anemia/Trait as determined by OMSO or HMS
• • Pregnant, trying to become pregnant, and/or breastfeeding (results of urine pregnancy test or self-report for breastfeeding will be obtained before body composition testing)
• • Claustrophobia or discomfort related to having enclosed equipment around the head
• • Unwillingness or inability to consume study diets or foods provided due to personal preference or food allergies/sensitivities
• • Unwillingness or inability to adhere to study exercise restrictions and prescriptions