Studies of brain chemistry are beginning to point up differences between run-of-the-mill grunts and folks who are successful commandos.
But now blood tests of these elite warriors, compared to regular infantrymen, shows that it’s all in the blood. More specifically, the elite warriors have highly elevated levels the hormone neuropeptide-Y (or NPY). Not much is known about NPY, although it appears to be a natural relaxant. Produced in the brain and intestine, NPY is also involved with appetite control, heart function and the quality of ones sleep. If you are one of those people who just naturally have a lot of NPY, you tend to be cool under pressure and very capable of handling stress.
We all know people like this. But if you want to be a successful commando, you really need NPY. This is because even commandos generate large quantities of the stress hormone cortisol when under pressure. Without NPY to handle the cortisol, you will be just as stressed out and exhausted as a normal person. It’s not normal to have a lot of NPY.
But a commando is more than some buff, aggressive guy with a lot of NPY. While there appears to be a lot of blood and brain chemistry issues going on here, there are also the more traditional items like motivation and physical fitness. But these have always been easier to measure. In the future, it looks like more blood tests will also be part of the selection process.
But beyond that, NPY compounds, as anti-stress pills, may supplement or supplant some of the amphetamines htat have been used for soldiers for some time on the battlefield. Interesting.
(via Cronaca)