Metabolic syndrome in tactical athletes: A narrative review of risk factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/eb.v24i6.4202Keywords:
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Occupational Health; Chronic Disease Indicators; Occupational Stress; Sports Nutritional Sciences.Abstract
Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MS) has emerged as one of the most relevant health conditions among professionals classified as tactical athletes, a category that includes military police officers, firefighters, military personnel, and other emergency response agents exposed to high physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial demands. Objective: This study aimed, through a narrative review of the literature, to analyze the relationship between the tactical condition and the development of metabolic syndrome, with emphasis on the occupational, physiological, and nutritional determinants that modulate cardiometabolic risk in these professionals. Methods: To this end, a structured search was conducted for original articles and review studies published between 2007 and 2025, focusing on physiological and occupational aspects, body composition, stress neuroendocrinology, chronobiology, nutrition, and the epidemiology of metabolic syndrome in tactical athletes. Results: The findings indicate that tactical athletes operate under demands exceeding those of many high-performance athletes, characterized by alternating bouts of intense physical effort and prolonged periods of hypervigilance, constant use of heavy equipment, irregular eating patterns, sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and insufficient physiological recovery. These factors repeatedly activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal, thyroid, and gonadal axes, promoting hormonal dysregulation, increased visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and elevated inflammatory markers. High prevalences of metabolic syndrome and its components were observed among police officers and military personnel, surpassing those of the general population and reinforcing that MetS in this group is not incidental, but rather an expression of an occupational environment that is intrinsically obesogenic and cardiotoxic. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome in tactical athletes is a multifactorial phenomenon determined by specific occupational conditions that interact with nutritional and physiological factors, requiring integrated interventions that go beyond isolated dietary prescriptions and encompass institutional changes, continuous health promotion programs, and systematic metabolic surveillance throughout the professional career.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Geanderson Sampaio de Oliveira, Luís Carlos Abreu , Roberta Luksevicius Rica , André Soares Leopoldo , Danilo Sales Bocalini , Romeu Paulo Martins Silva (Autor)
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