Background. Action Pistol Shooting, implies high degree of physical and psy
chological stress, however cardiovascular adaptation during competition has
not been studied so far.
Methods, We studied six healthy males athletes, during the Italian National
Dynamic Pistol Shooting Championship, ECG was monitored and blood pressure
(BP) manually measured along the match.
Results. Mean heart rate (HR) was close to 100 bpm per minute in all but on
e shooters. Marked tachycardia, above 180 beats per minute was recorded in
four shooters, during "field course" stages. In two cases the heart rate un
der stress reached about 200 bpm, for the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial a
rrhythmias, BP behavior was different among the six shooters with mean syst
olic values ranging between 140 and 170 mmHg and maximal systolic values be
tween 160 e 240 mmHg,
Conclusions, Action Pistol Shooting induces acute elevation of HR and BP, w
hich may reach abnormal values and can be associated with impaired performa
nce and score. Further study is warranted in shooters undergoing combat-lik
e tournaments to evaluate unperceived cardiovascular stress and their copin
g capability.