OSU Tactical Fitness and Nutrition

UPDATE: NO nutrition class tomorrow from 3-4pm CT on Zoom (we switch to Thursdays for the summer break). My apologies for the change. I have sudden changes in travel plans.

Topic next week: Eating healthy while eating out

See below for the class schedule and sharing with friends.
Link also included weekly for easy joining. No need to register, just hop on in.

Reminder: Nutrition class TOMORROW from 3-4pm CT on Zoom (we switch to Thursdays for the summer break)

Topic this week: Dietary supplements 101

See below for the class schedule and sharing with friends.
Link also included below for easy joining. No need to register, just hop on in.

https://okstate-edu.zoom.us/j/94087577682

Is the plank test actually measuring what you think it is?

A study on 520 male law enforcement officers found a moderate correlation (r = 0.594) between 1-minute sit-ups and isometric prone plank performance. While both assess trunk muscular endurance, they target different qualities: dynamic vs. static strength.

This means traditional sit-up tests might not fully capture the core stability officers need on the job. Conversely, planks may not measure the dynamic muscular endurance of the trunk required for numerous occupational tasks.

Both isometric and dynamic trunk strength should be trained and tested, depending on which aspect of trunk muscular endurance you want to measure (i.e., dynamic or isometric).

What’s your go-to core test — sit-ups or planks? Tell us why? Drop it below 👇

Reminder: Nutrition class TOMORROW from 3-4pm CT on Zoom (we switch to Thursdays for the summer break)

Topic this week: Q&A session

See below for the class schedule and sharing with friends.
Link also included below for easy joining. No need to register, just hop on in.

https://okstate-edu.zoom.us/j/94087577682

Body Mass Index: A Useful Screening Tool, But Not the Whole Picture

While Body Mass Index (BMI) is widely used for health risk stratification, research by Sergi et al (2023) highlights several significant limitations when applying it to tactical populations:
• Inaccuracy due to Muscle Mass: BMI is often criticized as a crude measure of adiposity because it does not distinguish between muscle and fat. It is specifically noted as potentially inaccurate for populations with higher muscle mass, a characteristic frequently associated with tactical professionals.
• Misclassification of Obesity: Research indicates that BMI frequently misclassifies tactical personnel when compared to more precise measures like body fat percentage (%BF) or waist circumference (WC). For law enforcement and firefighters, BMI often under-classifies obesity, meaning individuals are labeled "non-obese" by BMI but would be considered obese based on actual body fat.
• Lack of Precision: While it can serve as a cost-effective and convenient preliminary screening tool, it is not as precise a measure of body fatness as other assessment tools.
• Inconsistent Research Findings: Because studies often use different outcome measurements, it is difficult for researchers to draw definitive conclusions regarding the exact associations between BMI and certain health or performance outcomes.
• Inability to Determine Causation: Most available research on these populations consists of cross-sectional or cohort studies, which means they can show correlations but cannot imply that BMI causes specific health or performance issues.
• Generalizability: Much of the existing research focuses on tactical populations within the United States, meaning the results may not be generalizable to military or first responders in other countries.
Despite these limitations, the sources note that higher BMI—especially beyond the overweight category—is still frequently associated with negative health outcomes like cardiovascular disease risk and increased injury rates in these groups

Fitness Decline in Officers: Aging or Occupational Exposure?
Research comparing police academy cadets and incumbent officers found that lower fitness levels in officers were not mainly caused by aging. Even when officers and cadets were matched by age, incumbent officers still showed lower muscular endurance and aerobic fitness. These findings suggest that occupational stress, sedentary work demands, shift schedules, and reduced physical training opportunities may contribute more to declining fitness than age itself. The study highlights the need for ongoing fitness and wellness programs to help officers manage stress and maintain physical readiness throughout their careers.

Reference
Orr, R. M., Dawes, J. J., Pope, R., & Terry, J. (2018). Assessing differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics between police academy cadets and incumbent officers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(9), 2632–2641. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002477

Reminder: NO nutrition class for this week due to graduation ceremonies. We will move to the summer schedule of THURSDAYS from 3-4pm CT on Zoom starting May 14.

Topic when we pick back up: Q&A session

See below for the class schedule and sharing with friends.