Protein study a real eye opener

Blackanthem Military News, BROOKS CITY-BASE, Texas, February 24, 2006 13:13

Warfighters will never have the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but a specialized whey protein supplement under study here could enhance mental and physical performance.

A double-blind Air Force Research Laboratory study was launched Feb. 3 as part of an operational readiness initiative. It is being conducted in collaboration with the GNC Corp. of Pittsburgh, Pa.

The focus of the study is specialized whey protein. Its non-modified form, historically, has been used to build muscle supporting increased physical conditioning. AFRL scientists hope this research will eventually provide the Air Force with a non-pharmaceutical option that enhances alertness and physical strength in warfighters exposed to sleep deprivation and workloads associated with stressful operational environments.

The study came about when Col. Breck Lebegue, a Brooks City-Base scientist, observed Soldiers and Marines using supplements in Kyrgyzstan in 2004.

Colonel Lebegue learned that the supplements were popular among Soldiers and Marines who deployed from that base to support missions in Afghanistan.

"These guys are going to battle at 10,000 feet elevation while hauling 100 pound packs. That's hard work - living and surviving in that kind of environment which is mentally and physically challenging," said the colonel, aerospace medicine chief, Aircrew Performance & Protection Branch, AFRL Human Effectiveness Directorate, Biosciences & Protection Division.

Colonel Lebegue wanted to find out if there was an operationally-relevant need to verify, scientifically, the human performance enhancing potential of such supplements.

He confirmed the Special Operations community's need for these supplements with Dr. (Col.) James Wright, 720th Special Tactical Group command surgeon at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and a former U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine scientist in hyperbaric research at Brooks.

In spring 2005, Capt. (Dr.) Andy McQuade, one of the study's principle investigators and Human Fatigue Neurosciences Team chief, conducted an informal survey on supplement use among 720th Special Tactical Group personnel.

"I asked the 12 volunteers what supplements they used and where they got them. These guys knew more about supplements' effects from reading men's muscle magazines and less from the science (literature)," Captain McQuade said.

He also learned that the survey respondents felt stronger and believed the supplements worked. "The only thing they had to measure supplements against were (conditioning) workouts in the gym," he said.

What makes AFRL's whey protein study different from past research on human performance, its principle investigators say, is it's not limited to cognition. "We've had research to keep subjects awake, but not necessarily physically and mentally alert," Captain McQuade said.

He cited an earlier study he was involved with that investigated the FDA-approved, commercially developed stimulant Modafinil. "We were looking at Modafinil to promote wakefulness and also to increase physical performance," Captain McQuade said. He explained that this prescription substance had been previously used to promote wakeful rest in narcoleptics.

AFRL researchers will be evaluating whey protein's effects on cognition and physical performance, as well as on body composition, memory and concentration involving specific tasks conducted after a 24-hour sleep deprived period.

The study builds upon earlier research conducted by Dr. David Housh, a University of Nebraska exercise physiologist, who collaborated with GNC on supplement testing.

"They tested leg strength using the gym's leg extension machine," Colonel Lebegue said. He said Dr. Housh's tests verified that these supplements helped build strength and muscle mass.

In AFRL's study, half of the volunteers will be given modified whey protein, with the other half given a placebo. They will also be subjected to modified physical fitness and cognitive tests while alert and fatigued during an eight-week period.

AFRL investigators said they also will be evaluating whey protein's effects on rebuilding and repairing over-exercised muscle. They emphasized that this specialized supplement is not a steroid, which is illegal and potentially harmful to health.

Ultimately, this specialized supplement could prove to be the so-called 'magic bullet,' - a non-addictive substance that keeps people alert.

By Rudy Purificato
311th Human Systems Wing