Questions from the Field
Articles researched and written by HPRC on performance in challenging environments
These articles are researched and written by HPRC staff to answer questions about performance in challenging environments.
- A pain in the neck—causes in helicopter and fighter pilots
- Chronic and acute neck pain among pilots can affect the readiness and effectiveness of service men and women who take to the skies on a regular basis. Find out what is being done about the increasing occurrence of neck pain among military pilots of helicopters and fighter jets.
- The future of body armor
- Carrying heavy loads, notably body armor and equipment, is taking a toll on Warfighters. A recent report examines the issues related to reducing body armor weight while preserving safety.
- Preventing non-combat injuries is a must!
- Vast numbers of Warfighters remain non-deployable after being sent home early with non-combat orthopedic injuries. Commanders and researchers in the military are exploring preventive measures.
- What IS "heat illness"?
- Heat illness can vary from minor symptoms to life threatening conditions. Know the progression of signs and symptoms to prevent serious injury when exercising or performing in hot environments.
- Short-Duration Altitude Acclimatization
- The effects of short-term altitude acclimatization are varied and include both cognitive and psychomotor components.
- High-Altitude Training Masks
- Commercial devices are available that purportedly help a person acclimatize to high altitude while they are still training at normal atmospheric pressure, but their effectiveness is questionable.
- Intermittent Normobaric-Hypoxia Exposure Conditioning Program
- Commercially-available normobaric hypoxic devices simulate altitude. Are they useful for improving health and performance at high altitudes?
- How can Warfighters prevent and manage altitude illness?
- It is commonly believed that physical fitness can prevent acute mountain sickness, but this is a myth.
- How can heat acclimatization prevent heat illness?
- Heat-related injuries are significant threats to the health and operational effectiveness of military members and their units.
- EPO for altitude acclimitization
- A look at the use of exogenous erythropoietin (EPO) for faster altitude acclimatization.
