The Effects of a Combination of TeaCrine®, Dynamine, and Caffeine in Law Enforcement

September 29, 2021 updated by: Shawn M. Arent, University of South Carolina

The Effects of a Combination of TeaCrine®, Dynamine, and Caffeine on Marksmanship Accuracy and Reaction Time in ROTC Members, Military, and Law Enforcement Following a Mentally Fatiguing Protocol

The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled, three-condition, double-blind, between-subjects clinical trial is to determine and compare the effects of the combination of TeaCrine®, Dynamine, and caffeine to a placebo and caffeine condition on reaction time and target acquisition and accuracy. A secondary purpose is to observe the changes in hemodynamic variables in response to this combination.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

BASELINE ASSESSMENT:

  • Subjects will report to the University of South Carolina Sport Science Lab normally hydrated and having refrained from eating for minimum 2 hours prior.
  • Upon arrival, subjects will complete the informed consent and the Caffeine Frequency Questionnaire (CFQ) to assess their intake.
  • Subjects will have body composition assessed using air displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod, Cosmed, Inc.) using standardized procedures.
  • A salivary sample will be provided by each subject before beginning familiarization to analyze for presence of the CYP1A2 (caffeine) gene.
  • Subjects will be familiarized with the cognitive testing protocols using the Dynavision D2TM board and TRAZER Sports Simulator. They will complete a shortened version of the mentally fatiguing condition on the DynavisionTM to familiarize with the protocol. They will be able to complete 3 trials of reaction time using the simulation on the TRAZER.
  • Following this, subjects will then complete 3 trials of marksmanship assessment using the optical targetry system.

CONDITIONS:

  • Following exercise familiarization, subjects will be randomly assigned to the condition of placebo (P), caffeine (C), or combination of caffeine + TeaCrine + Dynamine (DC). Sessions will be scheduled at the same time as the initial baseline/familiarization session.
  • Subjects will be asked to maintain a normal sleep schedule in the week leading up to their session, maintaining the same wake time each day.
  • Subjects will be asked to refrain from alcohol for 48 hours and caffeine 24 hours prior to their condition, with no major changes in food intake.
  • Subjects will consume the supplement, complete the Multi-Component Training Distress Scale (MTDS) and will begin their session 30 minutes later.
  • Sessions will include 30 minutes of a mentally fatiguing task on the Dynavision D2TM board, designed with a go/no-go stimulus. The blinds will be drawn and lights switched off to reduce glare on the board.
  • At baseline and after each phase of the protocol, an assessment of psychological arousal will be taken using subjective measures of the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) .
  • Subjects will then perform the reaction time assessment on the TRAZER and shooting assessment. This will be performed twice. The TRAZER will consist of 40 targets, and the shooting assessment will be 8 shots with a tactical re-load followed by an additional 8 shots. A 2-minute rest will be taken between trials. Total time allotted for assessments will be 20 minutes.
  • Subjects will then be seated in a room for 30 minutes, during which time they will read leisurely. At the completion of this time, subjects will complete the mentally fatiguing protocol once more (30 minutes). Following this, measures of reaction time and shooting assessment will be performed again (20 minutes).
  • Heart rate will be monitored and recorded throughout testing to establish average and peak values during the reaction time and marksmanship tasks.
  • Blood pressure will be measured pre- and post-testing using the Omron HEM 907XL Intellisense Pro Digital Blood Pressure cuff.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

49

Phase

  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • New Jersey
      • New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States, 08901
        • Rutgers University Center for Health and Human Performance
    • South Carolina
      • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29208
        • University of South Carolina Sport Science Lab

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 63 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subject has provided written and dated informed consent to participate in the study.
  • Subject is in good health as determined by physical examination and medical history.
  • Subject is between the ages of 18 and 63.
  • Subject is a current member of the military or law enforcement.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects who have injuries that would prevent them from completing the protocol.
  • Subjects who have migraine headaches.
  • Subjects with a history of kidney or liver disease.
  • Subjects with a history of caffeine sensitivity.
  • Subjects currently taking OTC products containing pseudoephedrine or other stimulants.
  • Subjects who drink more than four cups of coffee per day.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
300 mg cellulose
Placebo
Experimental: Caffeine
300 mg caffeine
Caffeine
Experimental: Caffeine Combination
150 mg caffeine with 100 mg Dynamine and 50 mg TeaCrine
combination of caffeine, TeaCrine, and Dynamine
Other Names:
  • Combination

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reaction time
Time Frame: 4 minutes, following the first 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Spatial reaction
4 minutes, following the first 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Reaction time
Time Frame: 4 minutes, following the second 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Spatial reaction
4 minutes, following the second 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Marksmanship
Time Frame: 2 minutes, following the first 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Simulated marksmanship using optical targetry
2 minutes, following the first 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Marksmanship
Time Frame: 2 minutes, following the second 30-minute mental fatigue protocol
Simulated marksmanship using optical targetry
2 minutes, following the second 30-minute mental fatigue protocol

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood pressure responses
Time Frame: 3 hours total
Changes in blood pressure throughout the course of the protocol
3 hours total
Heart rate responses
Time Frame: 3 hours total
Changes in heart rate throughout the course the protocol
3 hours total

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 4, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 15, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

November 15, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 26, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 1, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 30, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2021

Last Verified

September 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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