A primary focus of the work done in the MAP Lab is to study the impact of occupational stressors among high stress tactical occupations such as firefighters, law enforcement and military personnel. This line of work is done in collaboration with the ALERRT Center at Texas State University. These occupations are exposed to a variety of stressors (psychological stress, heat, smoke exposure, intense physical exertion, sleep disruption, etc.) that cause significant increases in biochemical and physiological markers of stress, inflammation and oxidative stress. Chronic exposure to these stressors can adversely impact performance and cardio-metabolic health.
MAP Lab personnel typically collect physiological/biochemical data to provide insight as to the magnitude of stress induces by numerous occupational factors. This research aims to identify the impact of exercise training, nutritional interventions, and alternative modes of training such as virtual reality based training on markers of stress and performance.
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Recent MAP Lab publications that have been done in this area include:
McAllister, M.J., Tanksley, P.T., Martaindale, M.H., DeArman, A., Samora, M., Martin, S.E., Gonzalez, D.E. (2026). Inflammation on the frontlines: linking salivary blood biomarkers to cardiometabolic health and physical fitness parameters in firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in press, DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003792
Gonzalez, D.E., Martin, S.E., McAllister, M.J. (2026). Validation of a non-invasive physiological stress and inflammatory assessment: agreement of salivary and blood biomarkers among first responders. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, ePub ahead of print, DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003704.
McAllister, M.J., Martaindale, M.H., Womble, A., Sutton, N., Uriegas, S. (2026). Shift schedule change from 24/48 to 1/3, 2/3 improves markers of stress and quality of life incareer firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 68(5), 428-435.
Sutton, N., Martaindale, H.M., Uriegas, S., Dillard, C., McAllister, M.J. (2025). Virtual reality based active shooter training: added physical stress increases anxiety but not stress biomarkers. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 182, 107628. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107628
Guerra, B.C., Martin, S.E., Colvin, L.C., Dawes, J., McAllister, M.J., Gonzalez, D.E. (2025). Firefighters versus law enforcement officers: a comparison of cardiovascular disease risk. International Journal of Exercise Science, 18(6), 659-671.
McAllister, M.J., Dodge, C., Tanksley, P.T., Martaindale, M.H., Martin, S.E., Gonzalez, D.E. (2025). Markers of fitness, stress, and cardiometabolic disease risk among law enforcement officers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 67(6), 437-444. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003357.
McAllister, M.J., Martaindale, M.H., Dillard, C.C., McCullough, R. (2024). Impact of L-theanine and L-tyrosine on markers of stress and cognitive performance in response to a virtual reality based active shooter training drill. Stress, 27(1). DOI.10.1080/10253890.2024.2375588.
Gonzalez, D.E., Dillard, C.C., Johnson, S.E., Martin, S.E., McAllister, M.J. (2024). Physiological stress responses to a live-fire training evolution in career structural firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 66(6). DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003088.
Martaindale, M.H., Sandel, W., Duron, A., McAllister, M.J. (2024), Can a virtual reality training scenario elicit similar stress response as a realistic scenario-based training scenario? Police Quarterly, 27(1). DOI: 10.1177/10986111231182729.
McAllister, M.J., Martaindale, M.H., Dillard, C.C., Gonzalez, D.E. (2024). Stress response to virtual reality based active shooter training: Impact of caffeine consumption. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 161, 106923. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106923
Dillard, C.C., Martaindale, M.H., Hunter, S.D., McAllister, M.J. (2023). Slow breathing reduces biomarkers of stress in response to a virtual reality active shooter training drill. Healthcare; special issue: health, safety, and readiness of tactical populations, 11(2351). DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11162351.
McAllister, M.J., Gonzalez, D.E., Leonard, M., Martaindale, M.H., Bloomer, R.J., Pence, J., Martin, S.E., (2023). Risk factors for cardiometabolic disease in professional firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 65(2), 119-124.
McAllister, M.J., Gonzalez, A.E., Waldman, H.S. (2022). Impact of time restricted feeding on markers of cardiometabolic health and oxidative stress in resistance trained firefighters. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1;36(9), 2515-2522. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003860
McAllister, M.J., Gonzalez, A.E., Waldman, H.S. (2021). Time restricted feeding reduces inflammation and cortisol response to a simulated firegrounds test in professional firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in press. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002169
Gonzalez, A.E., Waldman, H.S., Abel, M.G., McCurdy, K.W., McAllister, M.J. (2021). Impact of time restricted feeding on fitness variables in professional resistance trained firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in press. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002144