UROP Project

Targeted Assessments of Cognition in Tactical-Performance with Ingested Ketones: The TACTICK Trial

Ketones, Cognition, Human Performance
Research Mentor: Connor McKay,
Department, College, Affiliation: Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: crm25@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Exercise Physiology
Project Location: Florida Public Safety Institute. 75 College Dr. Havanna Fl
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

We are looking to assess the efficacy of an exogenous ketone supplement for saving cognitive performance under stress in the tactical athlete. Following a triple blinded, placebo controlled, double-armed, crossover design, we will assess if the ketone supplement saves cognitive performance following exhuasitve exercise using traditional cognition testing as well as novel tactical specific measures (i.e., live-round marksmanship and weapons familiarization).

Research Tasks: Data collection and analysis

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: No prerequisite skills required, all will be taught!

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring style comes straight from the best mentors I've ever had. They expected nothing but my best work, and somehow never made me feel bad when I missed the bar. That's the balance I want with my own mentees: push hard, keep it safe to fail. I give mentees ownership of an actual piece of the project, not a training wheels version of it. When they hit a wall, I ask questions instead of handing over the fix, and I let them sit with it. Weekly check-ins keep me in the loop without hovering over them. Mistakes aren't something I try to prevent. They're something we debrief after, because that's where the learning sticks. I'm not trying to build a mentee who follows instructions well. I want one who starts thinking like a scientist on their own.

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