Heros produce less cortisol under pressure

Daily Mail:

Some individuals are born heroes, scientists believe.

Research shows that the stress hormone cortisol can make the difference between being a hero or a coward.

Those who rise to the challenge do not experience the cortisol rush of those who fall to pieces when the going gets tough.

Researcher Deane Aikins said the findings could explain the cool head of Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who averted disaster by landing his plane on New York's Hudson River last month.

He said: 'There are some individuals who when confronted with extreme stress, their hormone profile is rather unique.

'It doesn't reach the same peak as the rest of us. So we're all ready to scream in our chairs, but there are individuals who just don't get as stressed.'

When the Yale University psychiatrist subjected soldiers to concentration camp simulations and other stressful situations he found those who remained calm made less cortisol.

They also made more neuropeptide Y, a compound that counteracts the effects of cortisol.

Dr Aikins told the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference that he believed the results showed that some individuals were born heroes.

'Certain people are cooler under pressure and perform very, very well,' he said.

Dr Aikins has shown that by measuring hormone levels it is possible to predict who will keep their cool under pressure. His work has caught the eye of the U.S. military chiefs, who believe it could be used to create the perfect soldier.

Using the right cocktail of supplements, steroids and mind exercises, it might be possible to turn run- of-the-mill recruits into heroes.

Candidate supplements include the steroid DHEA which protects the body from the effects of cortisol.

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It sounds like they are looking for a cortisol blocker. They should also look for recruits with a history of ADHD. Studies have shown that people with ADHD react very well under stress or pressure. Some have said it is like the rest of the world is catching up with the pace their mind is running. They are very good in the military, police and as firemen. The discipline of the military also overcomes some of the negatives they have in a less structured environment. I think it is very likely that people like Ulysses S. Grant and George Patton probably had ADHD. They were both much better under the stress of combat than they were in non wartime situations.