Journal of Nutraceuticals and Health

ABSTRACT

Introduction Recovery is a foundational but underdefined element of the Human Weapon System (HWS) paradigm, which integrates physical, psychological, cognitive domains, etc. to optimize the tactical professionals. Existing definitions such as “return to duty” or “combat regeneration,” are overly simplistic and fail to capture the complexity of recovery within the multidimensional operational demands placed on HWS personnel. This review proposes a comprehensive, operationally relevant definition of recovery tailored to the HWS context. Materials and Methods This narrative review synthesizes literature across traditional and non-traditional Human Performance (HP) domains, including physical readiness, cognitive function, fiscal methods, nutrition, sleep, and environmental adaptation. Emphasis was placed on identifying causal (e.g., workload, stress exposure) and resultant (e.g., biomarkers, fatigue indices, psychological metrics) factors that affect recovery processes. The review also examined cross-domain interdependencies that influence performance degradation and restoration. Results Recovery within the HWS paradigm is best conceptualized as a multidimensional process involving restoring causal and resultant performance metrics to baseline or optimal functional levels.This review highlights that effective recovery cannot be assessed solely through return-to-duty timelines or physical indicators; it must also incorporate resolution of the causal metrics. By aligning recovery with tangible and measurable outputs across the HWS HP domains, this model enables a more precise quantification of fatigue and restoration, offering a holistic perspective. Conclusions This review proposes a refined definition of recovery as “the process of restoring causal and resultant metrics to baseline levels to mitigate fatigue and maximize performance across all HWS HP domains.” This conceptual model is a new foundation for developing targeted, evidence-based interventions and monitoring strategies to enhance recovery, resilience, and sustained performance among tactical HWS professionals.

KEYWORDS

1. Recovery
2. Human Weapon System (HWS)
3. Fatigue
4. Performance
5. Metrics
6. Human Performance (HP)