Publications by authors named "Andrew Ledford"

Martin, BJ, Wright, M, Patel, V, Susmarski, A, Lovalekar, M, Forse, JN, Beckner, ME, Ledford, AK, and Nindl, BC. Physiological, physical, and psychological determinants of success during the naval special warfare screener selection course. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) screener is an arduous, 24-h course conducted at the Naval Academy in Midshipmen aspiring to enter the Navy's Sea, Air, and Land program.

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Mindfulness and resilience are thought to be essential qualities of the military's special operations community. Both are tested daily in Special Operations Forces (SOF) assessment and selection efforts to prepare candidates to persist through grueling training and complex combat situations; but these qualities are rarely measured. While military leadership places value on the concepts of mindfulness and resilience, there is minimal empirical research examining the role that they play in the completion of training.

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This longitudinal study examines the growth of psychological characteristics and adaptation of physiological markers of stress during a six-month assessment and selection course for U.S. Navy SEALs.

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Military operational stress is known to increase adrenal hormones and inflammatory cytokines, while decreasing hormones associated with the anabolic milieu and neuroendocrine system. Less is known about the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a form of cell-to-cell communication, in military operational stress and their relationship to circulating hormones. The purpose of this study was to characterize the neuroendocrine, cytokine, and EV response to an intense.

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This research examines resilience from both cognitive and physiological perspectives and the relative importance of resilience for progression within an extremely physical training environment for 116 individuals. Our study provides a unique contribution as an examination of the combined effects of psychological and physiological resilience in the success of individuals in the first phase of a military special operations training course, the Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course. Our study used the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) for the psychological assessment and a blood sample to measure the concentrations of cortisol, DHEA and BDNF, each associated with stress adaptation and neuronal integrity.

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