Anthropometric, Physiological, and Psychological Variables That Determine the Elite Pistol Performance of Women.

Vahid Sobhani,Ignacio Refoyo Román,Seyed Ebrahim Hashemi,Mohammadjavad Rostamizadeh,Daniel Mon-López,Seyed Morteza Hosseini

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031102

Abstract

Shooting is a high-precision sport that depends on many factors to achieve high performance levels. The main objective of this study was to analyze the differences in anthropometric, physiological, and psychological variables by sport level in women air-pistol shooters. Fifteen female pistol shooters, including seven elite national shooters of Iran and eight non-elite shooters, participated in this study. Analyzed variables were grouped into three sections: anthropometric, physiological, and psychological. Anthropometric variables included: height, weight, body mass index, length of leg, arm span, and proportions between variables. Physiological tests include resting heart rate, static and dynamic balance, flexibility, and upper body strength. Additionally, psychological questionnaires of SMS-6 sport motivation, TSCI trait sport-confidence and SSCI state sport-confidence, ACSI-28 athletic coping skills, and SAS sport anxiety scale were used. The Shapiro–Wilks test and independent t-test were used to analyze the data. Effect size and test reliability were calculated using Cohen’s d and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. Our results showed that elite shooters have higher values of dynamic balance (Y-test), upper body strength (sit-ups), and intrinsic motivation, and lower resting heart rate than non-elite. However, no differences were found in the anthropometric variables, nor in anxiety or coping skills. We conclude that physiological and psychological workouts should be included in the shooters’ training programs to improve their performance.

Highlights

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralShooting is a high-accuracy [1] sport in which age is not a limiting variable of performance [2]
The analysis revealed that elite shooters had higher values of the Y-test left-foot back direction (p = 0.044; d = −1.16) and a higher number of sit-up repetitions (p = 0.008; d = −1.63), and lower values in the resting heart rate (p < 0.001; d = 3.04) than non-elite shooters (Table 2)
These results are in accordance with the study by Mon et al [5], who suggested that, the weight was related to the body sway of the shooters, neither the height nor the weight had a direct effect on performance

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralShooting is a high-accuracy [1] sport in which age is not a limiting variable of performance [2]. Regarding anthropometric factors, measuring body mass index (BMI) [6] and examining the body structure of an athlete, such as height (stand and sit), limb length (arm span, leg length) [7], or some proportions such as sitting height divided by standing height and sitting height related to leg length [8], could determine the athletic balance [9] and the potential to achieve greater success. In this line, some authors noted that tall or long-limbed athletes would have more body sway or tremor. This tremor size in the limbs or body sway could be affected by the feet position [10], age, weight, and height and could have a with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion