Physiological impact of stress inoculation training in police cadets and its relationship to physical fitness

[Extract]
Law enforcement is inherently stressful due to the personal risk exposure, confrontation of violence and daily involvement in traumatic incidents. Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed daily to the unpredictability of work dangers including psychological stress, unexpected physical exertion, shift work
and noise.
Decker and Colleges identified that, in multiple occasions, LEO's individual heart rates (HR) were near, at or exceeding their predicted maximum HR. These researchers identified heart rates ranging from 185-198 beats per minute in officers driving urgently to attend a domestic incidence. Physical fitness and
psychological preparedness confers increased resilience to stress. Thus, with increased physical training and stress-provoking situational scenarios, the reactivity of the stress response can be blunted. Research has demonstrated that physiological arousal have impacts on police officer’s decision making and on-task performance.
Stress inoculation training (SIT) aims to promote psychological preparedness and resilience. Commonly adopted in law enforcement training, SIT is often combined with physically challenging scenarios to simulate occupational tasks and demands.