The US Special Operations Command (Socom), which oversees America’s Spec Ops forces, has confirmed it will be in charge of the research. Navy Commander Tim Hawkins, a Socom spokesman, said performance testing will begin next year.

       He said: “We have completed pre-clinical safety and dosing studies in anticipation of follow-on performance testing in fiscal year 2022.”

       Mr Hawkins told Breaking Defense the capsule includes a “human performance small molecule”.

       He explained that it will take a a nutraceutical shape for both civilians and military staff.

       Mr Hawkins added: “These efforts are not about creating physical traits that don’t already exist naturally.

       “This is about enhancing the mission readiness of our forces by improving performance characteristics that typically decline with age.

       “Essentially, we are working with leading industry partners and clinical research institutions to develop a nutraceutical, in the form of a pill that is suitable for a variety of uses by both civilians and military members, whose resulting benefits may include improved human performance—like increased endurance and faster recovery from injury.”

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