Mitigating Stress Response to Optimize Human Performance
Mitigating Stress Response to Optimize Human Performance
Optimizing human performance is the expression of a desired phenotype to meet the challenges of a particular task. Desired phenotypes are expressed in response to canalizing experiences such as in acclimatization to environments. Here one’s biobehavioral system adapts to the challenges of the environment to reduce physiologic strain on the system. These adaptations are within the biobehavioral system’s repertoire of expressible phenotypes and are reversible. Desired phenotypes can be maintained, facilitated, or induced by canalizing experiences. In the desire to optimize performance, the canalizing experiences are often designed to induce or prolong phenotypic expression to meet the demands of a constructed task. In these cases, the canalizing experiences, whether pharmacological or other physiologically invasive, often lead to irreversible negative health consequences. This chapter discusses the effects of canalizing experiences in terms of the strains on the biobehavioral system. The chapter advances a concept of strong environment as a means to facilitate and maintain phenotypes, which are within the phenotypic expressible repertoire. The argument is made that leveraging the bio-behavioral system’s wild type rather than domesticating the system to express a supernormal phenotype yields greater agility and overall health in a population to overcome challenges.
Keywords: phenotype, phenotypic expression, strong environment, resilience, stress, battle fatigue, allostasis, homeostasis
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