Operational Preparedness under Extreme Environments (OPEX):Enhancing cognitive performance at high altitude using CognoBar

st degree of mental andphysical alertness is imperative among combat soldiers to accomplishsuccessfully complex military missions often under the most adverse and hostileenvironments. A multitude of physical stressors such as extreme cold, highaltitude (HA), heat, noise, vibration etc., and physiological stressors such assleep deprivation, fear, loneliness etc., are likely to impair the performanceand decision making during complex situations. Therefore, a non-pharmacologicalsubstance such as a normal food constituent with the potential to reduce orreverse the stress response would not only be useful to military combatants butother patients of stress related disorders too. Therefore, studies are neededto evaluate potential performance enhancing food components in the normalration of the soldiers which if added to the diet could develop stressresistance amongst the soldiers.

CognoBar (Tyrosine nutraceutical bar) will help to improve the cognitiveperformance of the army personnel deployed in high altitude environment.

400 number participantsfrom Indian Army will participate in the study.   The study will beconducted in two batches of 200 participants in each batch i.e. total 400participants.

Total no. ofparticipants          :           400(in two batches)

Batch I (High altitude11000 to 12000 feet): 200 participants

Batch II (Very highaltitude 13000 to 14000 feet): 200 participants

Baseline recordings of all the parameters will be conducted at sealevel.  Participants will then be inducted to high altitude (11,000 ft to 12,000 ft.) and Very highaltitude (13000 to 14000 feet). Altitude studies will be carried out after 8-10week of induction.

**Supplementation:**CognoBar (Tyrosine nutraceutical bar) will besupplemented to the participants at high altitude and after 90 min of tyrosinesupplementation all the parameters will be recorded.