Psychophysiology, Cognitive Function, and Musculoskeletal Status Holistically Explain Tactical Performance Readiness and Resilience

Abstract

Thompson, AG, Ramadan, JH, Alexander, JS, and Galster, SM. Psychophysiology, cognitive function, and musculoskeletal status holistically explain tactical performance readiness and resilience. J Strength Cond Res 37(12): 2443-2456, 2023-This study aimed to advance the techniques used in quantifying holistic readiness and resilience within military personnel. Tactical performers, instructors, and applied human performance scientists designed a weeklong competition to reflect realistic operational demands, test specific underlying performance constructs, and elucidate how modernized assessments could drive programmatic action. By placing first in their installation's local preliminary competition, 34 active-duty Marines earned the opportunity to compete in a series of 7 intense events for the title of champion. All inferential statistics were set to a p ≤ 0.05 level of significance. Morning heart rate variability identified top from bottom quartile finishers before a single competition event. By day 3, morning countermovement jump force production (normalized reactive strength index-modified) and cognitive psychomotor vigilance were significant indicators of performance resilience and final competition group rank. Heart rate variability also tracked performer readiness across time, identifying within-group and between-group differences among top, bottom, and field. Collectively, these holistic assessments proved significant markers of acute and chronic tactical performance capabilities. In summary, the incorporation of psychophysiological monitoring, cognitive performance testing, and musculoskeletal force plate evaluations could help inform selection and support needs, drive workload or recovery modulation, and provide critical metrics for evaluating training efficacy and operational readiness. Defense organizations should consider routinely incorporating and actioning similar holistic status monitoring strategies in training and operational settings. Moreover, leveraging other tactical competitions may provide key opportunities for advancing the standard of practice through additional scientific investigation.