In the security profession, the central goal is to prevent a crime or incident from taking place. The onus is on security managers to be pro-active in their protective strategies and tactics. Security professionals have improved their pro-active decision making capabilities in leaps and bounds since 9/11. However, one area that still needs improvement within a security or police department’s role of responsibilities is response. Response time in emergencies is critical. The tactical operator has to identify, assess, decide, and act within seconds. Unfortunately many first responders are handicapped often by their own bad habits or lack of knowledge about improving their own tactical fitness performance.  Here are five elements which influence one’s’ reactive skills; improve on one or all five and you will see better results and a better prepared first responder team:

1. Sleep – we need it to properly function and to stay alert through out the day.

2. Diet – the average American diet is carbohydrate loaded causing spikes in blood sugar, often resulting in over eating and causing a sense of drowsiness. A balanced meal plan will provide the energy you need through out the day.

3. Over caffeinated – I love coffee, but moderation is the key. Like with carbo-rich foods, alertness levels can go up and down sometimes causing us to feel lethargic when we come down off the caffeine high. Imagine if a close protection agent has four more hours to go on a shift, yet is dying for some coffee yet can’t leave his post.

4. Fitness Level – I’m not talking about “beach muscles” but training the body to be primed for any type of hard, fast, and repetitive physical engagement.

5. Supplementation – Separate from eating whole foods, the right supplementation plan can help the body process food more efficiently and keep the mind sharp.

Improve in any of the five areas and you will see results. For those seeking more immediate nutrition and wellness solutions click here.