INCREASED ACTIVATION AS A LIMITING FACTOR OF PERFORMANCE IN SHARP SHOOTERS

The measurement of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity was perform ed on 10 male and five female sharp shooters (rifle) during competitio ns. Electrodermal, thermovascular, cardiorespiratory variables and two indices of performance were recorded simultaneously. When the subject s fired shots that hit the target, they had a higher number of negativ e skin potential responses than when they missed. The responses had lo wer amplitude but lasted longer than when the shots missed the target. Good performance seemed to depend on high levels of motivation (incre ase in negative potential response), better mastery of the emotional r eactivity (low amplitude response), and greater concentration time (in creased duration of response).