Page 189 - Biobehavioral Resilence to Stress

166 Biobehavioral Resilience to Stress

metabolism, preserve extremity function, and improve psychological coping.
Some of these strategies will be aided through training with new technolo-
gies that create virtual environments, allowing individuals to safely test their
limits and make recoverable mistakes.

Summary

Extreme environments challenge individuals through physiological mecha-
nisms that increase physical and psychological fatigue, adversely aff ect mood
and neurocognitive status, and increase susceptibility to injury and disease.
These limiters help prevent more serious injury or death in conditions that

may exceed an individual’s ability to further compensate in extreme condi-
tions. Resilient individuals are able to push these limits and more fully realize
their performance potential in extreme conditions. This thesis is centered on

discoveries so that people can learn to “think warm thoughts” and perform
better in cold environments; leaders can inspire groups to adopt a positive
mental state that enhances their survival in harsh environments; and an atti-

tude of invincibility enables athletes to eke out the winning difference in elite

physical performance. This expression of human genetic resilience has been
shaped by adaptations favoring endurance performance and is signifi cantly
moderated by exercise, mental processes, and psychosocial factors. Examples
of resilience extremes provide insights into physiological mechanisms for the
variations in human performance, survival, and success. Recent advances in

brain physiology can benefit this research frontier, connecting behavior and
perception to neurophysiological outcomes in extreme environments.

References

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