Don't Shoot Me: Potential Consequences of Force-on-Force Training Modulate the Human Stress Response

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Military Science
• Performance Psychology

Background:

• Close-quarters combat (CQC) engagements activate the body's natural stress responses.
• The impact of force-on-force (FoF) training on physiological stress and performance adaptations remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a 15-day CQC program utilizing FoF training with nonlethal training ammunition (NLTA) leads to adaptations in physiological stress response and performance.
• To compare stress markers and performance between FoF scenarios and target drills.

Main Methods:

• United States Marines and Army infantry personnel underwent 15 days of CQC training, including FoF scenarios and photorealistic target drills.
• Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol levels were measured before and after simulated hostage rescue (HR) scenarios on training days 1 and 15.
• Performance was assessed by time to completion for both FoF-HR and target drills.

Main Results:

• Time to completion significantly decreased by 67.7% for FoF-HR and 54.4% for target drills between days 1 and 15.
• Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) changes non-significantly doubled during FoF-HR but decreased during target drills.
• Cortisol levels were significantly higher during FoF-HR compared to target drills.

Conclusions:

• FoF training appears to heighten the stress response.
• Combined with enhanced performance, these findings suggest FoF training effectively prepares personnel for high-stress combat scenarios.
• The study indicates potential for adaptive changes in physiological stress responses due to realistic training.