Caffeine Effects on Marksmanship During High-Stress Military Training with 72 Hours Sleep Deprivation
Abstract
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. Volunteers used a marksmanship simulator system to measure shooting speed and accuracy. Marksmanship was assessed prior to training, and at 73 and 80 h into Hell Week. Volunteers randomly received either 100, 200, or 300 mg of caffeine or a placebo 72 h after training commenced. The combined effects of almost 73 h of total sleep deprivation degraded all marksmanship accuracy measures (p<0.05); i.e., 37.5% increase in targets missed, 38% increase in distance from center of mass of the target, and 235% increase in shot group tightness. Sighting time increased by 53% or 3.1 sec after 73 h of sleep deprivation (p<0.05). Sighting time was significantly faster after taking 200 or 300 mg of caffeine compared with placebo or 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeine (200 or 300 mg) enabled SEAL trainees to sight the target and pull the trigger faster without compromising shooting accuracy during this sustained operation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA430780
Entities
People
- Barbara . Shukitt-hale
- Harris R Lieberman
- William J. Tharion
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine