The NSCA Foundation (NSCAF) awards hundreds of thousands in research grant dollars each year to outstanding individuals within the strength and conditioning community. The NSCAF is one of the few foundations that fund research for master’s degree students and across all levels of education and experience up to senior investigators, as well as one of the few sources that funds work in the strength and conditioning field

This TSAC column reviews oxidative damage in tactical populations and examines the role of dietary antioxidants in health and readiness. Visit NSCA online to learn more on nutrition research and tactical performance.

Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) models have provided a youth sport framework for more than 2 decades, aimed at improving skill progression, training outcomes, and athlete preparation. Although influential, traditional LTAD approaches are limited by their sport-centric orientation, linear design, and focus on elite performance, leaving them less relevant for most youth and adults who do not pursue competitive sport. In response, we propose reframing LTAD as Long-Term Activity Development (LTActD), an accessible and flexible model designed to promote lifelong engagement in physical activity, including recreation, exercise, and sport. LTActD emphasizes 5 dynamic phases—Explore, Develop, Apply, Sustain, and Thrive—that accommodate diverse pathways, periods of inactivity, and opportunities to re-enter active living at any age. Represented as a curvy road, the new model underscores that participation in physical activity is rarely linear, more like a winding journey shaped by health, motivation, environment, and social context. LTActD bridges sport science and public health, positioning physical activity as a lifelong resource for health, independence, and fulfillment. LTActD offers a practical framework to empower individuals of all ages and abilities to discover meaningful ways to move, re-engage, and embrace active living throughout the life course.

Get NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, Second Edition — a trusted resource for TSAC-F® exam prep and military and public safety training.

Review assessment protocols for military personnel, firefighters, and police officers from NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition.

Explore predeployment training periodization mesocycle samples for tactical athletes from NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition.

Learn overtraining syndrome (OTS) risks, symptoms, and outcomes for tactical athletes from NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition.

Review sample Ranger unit training programs for before, during, and after deployment from NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, 2nd Edition.

Are you a young professional looking to broaden your knowledge and career horizons by working with a professional strength and conditioning coach? Apply for the NSCA Foundation Assistantship!