Kavalactones support motivation to move during intensive training in males preparing for military special operations forces.

BACKGROUND: Military special operators, elite athletes, and others requiring uninterrupted optimal performance currently lack options for sleep and mood support without performance-inhibiting effects. Kavalactones, derived from the root of the kava plant (Piper methysticum Forst), have been shown to elevate mood and wellbeing by producing a feeling of relaxation without addiction or cognitive impairment. METHODS: In this placebo-controlled, crossover study (NCT05381025), we investigated the effects of 2 weeks of kavalactones use on cortisol (diurnal salivary), sleep (RSQ-W; Restorative Sleep Questionnaire, Weekly), mood (DASS-21; Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21), and motivation state to expend (Move) or conserve (Rest) energy (CRAVE; Cravings for Rest and Volitional Energy Expenditure, Right Now) in a cohort of 15 healthy, physically fit young males engaged in a rigorous, two-a-day preparation class for special operations forces qualification. RESULTS: Cortisol, sleep, and mood were within normal, healthy parameters in this cohort at baseline. This remained unchanged with kavalactones use with no significant findings of clinical interest. However, a statistically similar, positive slope for within-group Move scores was seen in both groups during kavalactones loading (first group Move slope 2.25, second group Move slope 3.29, p = 0.299). This trend was seen regardless of order and with no apparent effects on the Rest metric (all p ≥ 0.05). Moreover, a significant between-group difference appeared after 1 week of kavalactones use in the first phase (p = 0.044) and persisted through the end of the first loading period (p = 0.022). Following the 10-day washout, this between-groups divergence remained significant (p = 0.038) but was reversed by 1 week after the crossover (p = 0.072), with Move scores once again statistically similar between groups and compared to baseline at study end. Furthermore, the group taking kavalactones first never experienced a significant decrease in Move motivation state (lowest mean score 21.0, highest 28.6, all p ≥ 0.05), while the group receiving kavalactones in the last 2 weeks of the study had Move scores that were statistically lower than baseline (lowest mean score 8.6, highest 25.9, all p ≤ 0.05) at all time points but the last (p = 0.063) after 2 weeks of kavalactones exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We report a novel finding that kavalactones may support performance by maintaining or rescuing the desire to expend energy in the context of significant physical and mental strain in well-conditioned individuals, even in a context of already normal cortisol, sleep, and mood.

2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values.

PURPOSE: The Compendium of Physical Activities was developed to enhance the comparability of results across studies using self-report physical activity (PA) and is used to quantify the energy cost of a wide variety of PA. We provide the second update of the Compendium, called the 2011 Compendium. METHODS: The 2011 Compendium retains the previous coding scheme to identify the major category headings and specific PA by their rate of energy expenditure in MET. Modifications in the 2011 Compendium include cataloging measured MET values and their source references, when available; addition of new codes and specific activities; an update of the Compendium tracking guide that links information in the 1993, 2000, and 2011 compendia versions; and the creation of a Web site to facilitate easy access and downloading of Compendium documents. Measured MET values were obtained from a systematic search of databases using defined key words. RESULTS: The 2011 Compendium contains 821 codes for specific activities. Two hundred seventeen new codes were added, 68% (561/821) of which have measured MET values. Approximately half (317/604) of the codes from the 2000 Compendium were modified to improve the definitions and/or to consolidate specific activities and to update estimated MET values where measured values did not exist. Updated MET values accounted for 73% of all code changes. CONCLUSIONS: The Compendium is used globally to quantify the energy cost of PA in adults for surveillance activities, research studies, and, in clinical settings, to write PA recommendations and to assess energy expenditure in individuals. The 2011 Compendium is an update of a system for quantifying the energy cost of adult human PA and is a living document that is moving in the direction of being 100% evidence based.