Optimizing performance and health
One of the major interests of the Johnson Lab is establishing criteria to help assess and improve performance and well-being. We focus on athletic populations and people in high-stress or extreme environments that demand optimal performance.
We have several studies aimed at optimizing performance in extreme conditions and improving health throughout the lifespan.
U.S. Air Force pilot health support
In this project, we're examining changes in cognitive function under various conditions, such as isometric exercise, hypobaria, low oxygen and increased carbon dioxide.
Study participants are monitored for multiple physiologic metrics and cognitive performance metrics. Our goal is to investigate which objective physiologic metrics can be associated with performance decreases and which can be used to power future warning systems.
In addition, our lab is engaged in an ongoing study of pilot performance and health at high altitudes and gravitational levels. This work is related to the grounding of the entire F-22 fighter aircraft fleet in 2011 because of possible oxygen system malfunctions. During that incident, we were involved in a massive effort to help assess what might have been happening to the pilots while in flight.
Project Everest
In 2012, Mayo Clinic, The North Face and National Geographic collaborated to carry out a scientific expedition to Mount Everest in the Himalayas. The major aim was to understand how the body adapts to changes in elevation. To do so, we studied possible cognitive changes and physiologic changes in the lungs and cardiovascular system.
Because of the continuous remote monitoring used in the project, a tremendous amount of data was collected. These data are still being analyzed and reported.
Project Kilimanjaro
In 2016, our lab was given the opportunity to take the knowledge gained from the Project Everest expedition and expand on it with an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa. The Kilimanjaro study focused intensely on cardiovascular function during elevation change.
Project UTMB/HK100
In 2018, our lab was once again able to expand on our knowledge of high-altitude physiology. In this project, researchers studied athletes participating in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) ultramarathon in France and the HK100 ultramarathon in Hong Kong.
Carbon dioxide as a modulator of human performance
Carbon dioxide is a well-established vasodilatory agent that induces significant physiological alterations, particularly within the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
In this project, we're investigating whether acute carbon dioxide inhalation can elicit ergogenic effects, thereby enhancing metabolic and cardiovascular benefits followed by exercise performance.