ACTIVATION IN NOVICE AND EXPERT PARACHUTISTS WHILE JUMPING

Heart and respiration rates were measured ambulatorily in 16 novice an d 25 expert (>380 delayed free-fall jumps) sports parachutists while m aking a static-line jump. Self-reported anxiety and heart rate peaked near the point of jumping in both groups rather than earlier in expert s, as reported by Fenz and Epstein (1967, Psychosomatic Medicine, 29, 33-51). While sitting in the airplane 1 min before exit, mean heart ra te was 124 bpm in novices and 102 in experts and increased during jump ing to 170 and 145, respectively. The almost identical rise in the two groups could be accounted for largely by physical exertion, replicate d with jumps from a training model on the ground. Exercise testing at a different location showed that experts were more fit. Respiration ra te was higher in the airplane than at baselines, especially for novice s. In conclusion, our results are more compatible theoretically with e xtinction of anticipatory anxiety than with learned anxiety inhibition .