Research & Evidence
WarriorWOD’s six-month recovery program produces a statistically significant reduction in PTS symptoms. Independently verified by academic researchers at the College of Charleston, outside our review and under separate funding.
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, call 988 (Veterans Crisis Line) or text 838255
18.2M US military veterans nationwide. The 2023 veteran suicide rate of 35.2 per 100,000 is 93.4% higher than the non-veteran adult rate of 18.2 per 100,000. Veterans are nearly twice as likely as their civilian peers to die by suicide.
The VA reaches only about 17.5% of veterans, and most available programs are short-term, non-integrated, and never measure outcomes. WarriorWOD fills a specific, documented gap: a six-month structured program that keeps a continuous clinical record, not a one-time touchpoint.
2023 veteran suicide rate
Higher than the non-veteran adult rate (18.2 per 100k)
More likely to die by suicide than civilian peers
PCL-5 point drop
Independent · CofC
Cohen’s d effect size
Very large · p < .001
severity reduction
Internal · 265 completers
Suicides prevented
Prior ideation · alive today
PCL-5 score · pre vs. post program
Veterans entered above the clinical threshold at 43.37. They left below it at 28.95. That crossing is clinically meaningful, not a rounding artifact.
p<.001
Significance
d = 33
effect size
t = -5.78
t(18) statistic
We don’t grade our own work. Our reported outcomes are analyzed independently by academic researchers under separate funding. They work outside our review, using peer-reviewed methods on a validated clinical instrument.
Lead researcher
Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D.
Institution
College of Charleston
Grant funding
SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294
Study design
Pre/post PCL-5
Independence disclosure. No WarriorWOD funding supported this analysis, and the College of Charleston’s findings were not subject to our review or approval before release. That separation is the foundation of academic credibility. Status: peer-review pending (findings 2025).
These average scores fell significantly after completing the program and fell below the threshold for PTSD, which I think is highly meaningful and speaks to the impact of the program.
Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Public Health Sciences & Administration · College of Charleston
One recurring gift moves a veteran through six months of structured recovery, with a documented clinical record at every step. $125 a month funds one full recovery.
We use the same validated instruments as the VA and DoD, not proprietary scoring or self-reported ratings. Every metric traces to a peer-reviewed clinical instrument.
Symptom severity, 20 validated items
The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms. WarriorWOD administers it at intake, monthly, and at graduation, tracking each veteran’s trajectory across all four DSM-5 clusters. A score of 31–33 or above indicates probable PTSD.
Intrusive Memories
Avoidance
Negative Changes in Thinking & Mood
Changes in Physical and Emotional Reactions
Suicide ideation & behavior monitoring
The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is a clinical tool used to assess suicidal ideation and behavior. WarriorWOD uses the C-SSRS to monitor suicide-related risk factors throughout the program, allowing staff to identify veterans who need additional support and track progress over time.
Combined with monthly check-ins that track substance use, sleep quality, daily functioning, and overall wellbeing, these tools provide a comprehensive picture of each Warrior’s recovery trajectory.
Every DSM-5 PTSD symptom cluster improves. Every single one. Across 265 program completers, 90.4% show measurable PCL-5 symptom reduction, analyzed with matched pre/post data on validated instruments.
Unwanted memories, nightmares, and flashbacks. Structured training engages neurological mechanisms (BDNF upregulation, HPA-axis modulation) that reduce how often and how hard those memories intrude.
Scored 0-4
Pre: 2.75
Post: 1.75
Avoiding reminders of trauma: places, people, thoughts, feelings. The structured gym environment and Battle Buddy relationship directly counter the social and physical avoidance that sustains PTS.
Scored 0-4
Pre: 3.19
Post: 2.06
Distorted blame, persistent negative states, and diminished interest. Peer mentorship and community accountability are the most direct interventions here. They supply the human dimension standard treatment can’t.
Scored 0-4
Pre: 3.00
Post: 1.79
Sleep problems, irritability, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle. Exercise’s effect on the autonomic nervous system and nutrition’s impact on cortisol regulation target these pathways directly.
Scored 0-4
Pre: 2.94
Post: 1.80
Across all 20 DSM-5 PCL-5 items, every cluster improves between 35% and 41%. The single largest individual-symptom improvement, self-destructive behavior, shows a 53.12% reduction. Source: WarriorWOD internal data, 265 completers, methodology v2026.1-severity.
The program isn’t built on intuition. Each of its three pillars rests on a distinct body of peer-reviewed research into how veterans recover from post-traumatic stress.
Structured physical training changes the stress physiology that drives PTS symptoms.
What veterans eat shapes the brain chemistry that regulates mood and stress.
The Battle Buddy relationship targets isolation, the leading risk factor for veteran suicide.
Symptom reduction is the headline. The program also tracks outcomes across suicide, substance use, and reach, because PTS never exists in isolation.
Veterans who entered with active suicidal ideation completed the program and remain alive today. Monitored via C-SSRS throughout.
Reduction in substance use among participants, tracked via monthly check-ins across the program timeline.
Program completers across 12 Warrior Classes, served nationally through Preferred Partner Gyms and a home-equipment track.
Of participants are economically disadvantaged. The program is fully donor-funded, so veterans pay nothing.
Workout programming (26 weeks)
$125
Nutrition coaching (24 sessions)
$600
InBody assessments (entry + close)
$100
Battle Buddy peer mentorship
$25
Individual veteran support
$75
Gym membership
$575+
A monthly gift of $125 funds one veteran’s complete six-month recovery.
Formal research and institutional partnerships with peer-review–credentialed organizations keep our outcomes independently accountable.
Independent program evaluation led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D. Grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294. No WarriorWOD funding involved; publication pending peer review.
Independent program evaluation led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D. Grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294. No WarriorWOD funding involved; publication pending peer review.
Independent program evaluation led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D. Grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294. No WarriorWOD funding involved; publication pending peer review.
Independent program evaluation led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D. Grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294. No WarriorWOD funding involved; publication pending peer review.
Level 1 curriculum framework licensor. All WarriorWOD nutrition coaching uses Precision Nutrition’s evidence-based methodology.
Community-level veterans support partnership enabling coordinated outreach and referral networks across the SC Lowcountry.
We use the same validated instruments as the VA and DoD, not proprietary scoring or self-reported ratings. Every metric traces to a peer-reviewed clinical instrument.
A full Warrior Class through six months of structured recovery.
A half-cohort carried start to graduation.
Ten complete recoveries, fully documented.
Seven veterans through the full program.
An independent study by the College of Charleston found veterans who completed the six-month program experienced a statistically significant 14.42-point reduction in PCL-5 scores (p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.33). Post-program scores averaged 28.95, below the 31–33 clinical threshold. The study was led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D., funded independently through SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294, and was not subject to WarriorWOD review before release.
Cohen’s d measures effect size: how large and practically meaningful the effect is, independent of sample size. A d of 0.8 is considered large; WarriorWOD’s d = 1.33 is a very large effect. By comparison, FDA-approved pharmaceutical PTSD treatments typically produce effect sizes of 0.5–0.8.
We use the PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), a validated 20-item measure used by the VA and DoD, administered at intake, monthly, and at graduation. The C-SSRS monitors suicide risk continuously. Monthly check-ins also track substance use, sleep quality, daily functioning, and overall wellbeing.
Among 265 program completers, 9 veterans who entered with active suicidal ideation completed the program and remain alive today. WarriorWOD tracks suicide risk using the C-SSRS and provides escalation pathways to licensed clinical care. Battle Buddy mentors are VA S.A.V.E.-certified.
No. WarriorWOD is a non-clinical peer-support program. It complements licensed clinical care and never replaces it. Veterans are encouraged to keep their relationships with VA providers. All safety escalations require human confirmation by licensed professionals.
The evaluation was led by Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the College of Charleston, and funded by the SC Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294), not by WarriorWOD. No WarriorWOD staff or board had approval rights over the findings before release.
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions for Improving Depression, Anxiety and Distress. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57, 1203–1209.
BMC Psychiatry (2025). Group Integrated Exercise vs. Recovery Class for Veterans with PTSD: A Randomized Clinical Trial. 25:185.
Reis, D.J., Gaddy, M.A., & Chen, G.J. (2022). Exercise to Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Veterans. Federal Practitioner, 39(4), 158–166.
Hegberg, N.J., Hayes, J.P., & Hayes, S.M. (2019). Exercise Intervention in PTSD: A Narrative Review and Rationale for Implementation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10:133.
Voorendonk, E.M., et al. (2023). Adding Physical Activity to Intensive Trauma-Focused Treatment for PTSD: An RCT. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.
Vancampfort, D., et al. (2018). Physical Activity and Suicidal Ideation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 438–448.
Wang, D., et al. (2014). Impact of Physical Exercise on Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e110728.
Sarris, J., et al. (2015). Nutritional Medicine as Mainstream in Psychiatry. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(3), 271–274.
Ljungberg, T., Bondza, E., & Lethin, C. (2020). Evidence of the Importance of Dietary Habits Regarding Depressive Symptoms. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17(5), 1616.
Opie, R.S., et al. (2015). Dietary Recommendations for the Prevention of Depression. Nutritional Neuroscience, 20(3), 161–171.
Tsai, J., et al. (2016). Peer Mentorship Among Veterans. Psychiatric Services, 67(7), 751–757.
Beehler, S., et al. (2021). Veteran Peer Suicide Prevention: A Community-Based Peer Prevention Model. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(2), 358–367.
Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C. (2015). The Effects of Surfing and the Natural Environment on the Well-Being of Combat Veterans. Qualitative Health Research, 25(1), 76–86.
Ahern, J., et al. (2015). Peer Support and Reduced Incidence of Depression and PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Blackburn, L. & Owens, G.P. (2015). The Effect of Self-Efficacy and Meaning in Life on PTSD and Depression in Veterans. Military Medicine, 180(4), 422–427.
Trejo Tello, K. (2025). Evaluation of a Physical Activity-Based Intervention to Reduce PTSD Symptoms in US Military Veterans. College of Charleston / SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294.
The study is documented. The outcomes are independently verified. The program is ready to scale. What it needs is recurring support from people who believe results matter more than promises. $125/month funds one veteran’s complete recovery.
NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE.
Upon returning home, many veterans face battles of a different kind—battles with invisible wounds like Post-Traumatic Stress, substance abuse, and the threat of suicide. WarriorWOD stands in the gap for these heroes, offering them a lifeline back to strength, health, and community.
VETERANS DIE ANNUALLY FROM SUICIDE
VETERANS SUFFER FROM PTS
SUFFER FROM INVISIBLE WOUNDS
TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES EACH DAY
DIE FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE EACH DAY
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