U.S. Army Research on Pharmacological Enhancement of Soldier Performance: Stimulants, Anabolic Hormones, and Blood Doping.
The level playing field of competitive sports is an irrelevant concern in asymmetrical warfare. However, there is a common theme of pressure to use performance-enhancing drugs because athletic or military opponents may be using them to advantage. This interest is fueled by personal anecdotes, misconceptions, and myths, and decisions to use or not to use pharmacological interventions may ignore available scientific data. The U.S. Army has led research in this area, with an abundance of published data extending back to World War II. Behavioral effects have been a consistent concern. A key conclusion to be drawn from this research is that although there may be specialized applications for some of these interventions, the majority of soldiers will gain the greatest performance benefits from effective physical and mental training programs combined with good principles of rest and nutrition. Furthermore, the perceived need to improve human biology with drugs may be solving the wrong problem, trying to fit the human to the demands of poorly conceived tactics, tasks, and equipments instead of capitalizing on human capabilities.
Knowledge Preservation Program, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Karl E
KE
Friedl
D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D014481:United States
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances