Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance Formulations for Military Operations (2001) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-16
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The urgency to maintain and enhance performance is driven by personnel reductions and shortfalls in recruitment goals resulting in the need to have the individual perform for longer periods of time with less sleep, shorter transition times, less recovery time between missions, and less reliance on traditional logistical support.
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In that report the CMNR recommended that the military pursue additional research on the mechanisms of effects of caffeine on cognitive performance, mood, and alertness, focusing on maximizing positive effects when performance is already degraded. Specifically, the committee recommended: Caffeine definitely should be considered in developing performance-enhancing rations or ration components.
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The purpose of the workshop was twofold: first, to evaluate the relevant caffeine research completed since the 1992 CMNR workshop "Food Components to Enhance Performance", particularly research conducted by the military on the ability of caffeine to counteract mental task performance deficits engendered by sleep deprivation, and, second, to review military research on the pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of caffeinesupplemented food bars versus caffeinated chewing gum, and assist the Department of Defense (DOD) in the transition of this research to military application.
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. Mean daily intake for adult consumers of caffeine products was 4 mg/kg BW, and for the ninetieth percentile of caffeine users, intakes approximated 5-7 mg/kg BW.
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Side effects have also been observed in humans at caffeine intakes of 1 g (15 mg/kg) , progressing from mild effects including
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What are the specific indications for use and contraindications for use? Military personnel face many situations in which extended wakefulness may be required including sentry duty, deployment-related activities, air transportation during emergencies, radar and sonar monitoring, submarine duty, and combat.
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Recommendations Caffeine in doses of 100-600 mg may be used to maintain cognitive performance, particularly in situations of sleep deprivation. Specifically it can be used in maintaining speed of reactions and visual and auditory vigilance, which in military operations could be a life or death situation.
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A recent critical review of 30 years of research on the blood pressure effects of coffee and caffeine concluded that the acute presser effects of caffeine are well documented, but that at present there is no clear epidemiological evidence that caffeine consumption is causally related to hypertension. One potential risk should be noted, however.
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Recent reviews of human studies suggest that some of the initial reported associations between caffeine and reduced fertility, teratogenicity, and other fetal and maternal effects in humans may be explained by confounding factors such as associated cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, reporting inaccuracies, and other methodological errors. A recent, well-controlled study using serum paraxanthine levels to quantitate caffeine exposure demonstrated that women who had spontaneous abortions also had significantly higher serum paraxanthine.
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. Conclusions The acute presser effects of caffeine are well documented, but at present there is no clear epidemiological evidence that caffeine consumption is causally related to hypertension.
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The most convincing evidence relates to caffeine and the small increased risk of spontaneous abortion. However, since this requires caffeine consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy, it is unlikely to be a major concern for sustained military operations.
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Conclusions A caffeine dose of 100-600 mg can be expected to improve vigilance and enhance cognitive performance. A delivery mechanism that provides caffeine in 100-mg increments could be used to allow individuals of smaller body size, nonhabituated caffeine users, and those with a heightened sensitivity to caffeine to use the product.
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There is a dose effect for the restorative effects of sleep duration on cognitive performance. Any amount of sleep from as little as a 15-minute nap can restore some degree of function, although the longer the sleep episode, the greater the amount of cognitive function restored.
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was more effective than caffeine at 300 mg in reversing the negative effects on alertness during sleep deprivation, it had deleterious effects on recovery sleep, which also may be important in the ultimate success of demanding and constantly changing SUSOPS. Therefore, considerable caution is warranted, and use of this stimulant should be restricted to circumstances when such measures are considered essential to the success of highly sensitive operations.
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Of the psychostimulant compounds that have been thoroughly tested, caffeine would be the compound of choice. Many personnel would have personal experience with the compound, it is not a restricted substance, it does not interfere with recovery sleep following periods of sleep deprivation, and it has very low abuse potential.
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The use of a caffeinated chewing gum would: appear to provide the most rapid absorption. Environmental circumstances and individual characteristics may make one caffeine delivery vehicle appropriate in some circumstances and inappropriate in others.
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