Improving Cognition With Neurodegradation Countermeasure
Condition: Hemodynamics; Caffeine; TeaCrine; Cognitive Change
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The goal of this randomized, placebo-controlled, three-condition, double-blind,
      within-participants crossover clinical trial is to compare caffeine, TeaCrine plus caffeine,
      and a placebo condition in ROTC or tactical personnel.

      The main question it aims to answer is the effect of the condition on measures of cognitive
      performance, cardio-autonomic, and hemodynamic responses after a physically demanding
      protocol.

      The physiological function will be derived from metrics of heart rate variability, whilst
      cogntive performance will be evaluated using tasks that assess cognitive domains of executive
      function, reaction time, and memory.

      Participants will report to the lab 4 times, once for familiarization of cognitive measures
      and then 3 times for their experimental visits. Participants will consume their randomized
      condition an hour prior to the fatiguing interval exercise protocol. Following they will
      complete a series of cognitive tasks.
    

Detailed description: 
      The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled, three-condition, double-blind,
      within-participants crossover clinical trial is to determine and compare the effects of the
      combination of TeaCrine® and caffeine to a placebo and a caffeine condition on measures of
      cognitive performance, cardio-autonomic, and hemodynamic responses after a physically
      demanding protocol. After giving informed consent, 20 ROTC members or tactical personnel will
      undergo baseline performance testing and familiarization and will then be randomly assigned
      to order of completion of the placebo (P), caffeine (C) condition, and caffeine + TeaCrine
      (CT) condition, with each session separated by at least 96 hours. In each condition,
      Participants will be given the condition pill assigned to them, the pill will be taken orally
      with water, and will wait 60 minutes. At this time, the Participant will complete a
      treadmill-based physically fatiguing interval protocol with select cognitive testing during
      the exercise recovery intervals. Participant measures of mental fatigue will be assessed pre-
      and post-testing, and following the interval bout participants will perform a series of
      cognitive tasks. Heart rate variability (HRV) and respiration will be assessed continuously
      though these tasks and blood pressure will be assessed at baseline, prior to the exercise
      bout, immediately following the exercise bout, and following the cognitive testing.
    

Intervention name(s): TeaCrine and Caffeine; Caffeine; Placebo
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement; Other
Intervention description(s): Participants will take Teacrine and caffeine then an hour later perform an intense interval exercise protocol followed by cognitive tests.; Participants will take caffeine then an hour later perform an intense interval exercise protocol followed by cognitive tests.; Participants will take the placebo cellulose pill and than an hour later perform an intense interval exercise protocol followed by cognitive tests.
Intervention MeSH terms: Caffeine
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: This is a crossover intervention, in which participants will partake in all 3 conditions with at least 96 hours of washout between conditions.
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other