EFFECT OF PHYSICAL EFFORT ON SHOOTING PERFORMANCE OF MILITARY OFFICERS OF THE RIOT POLICE

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The use of firearms by military police officers is usually preceded by pursuit on foot, and the physiological changes produced by physical exertion may affect shooting performance.

Objective:

To verify the effect of physical effort on shooting performance in military police officers.

Methods:

The sample consisted of 15 men (34.1 ± 5.4 years; 81.4 ± 8.8 kg; 171.3 ± 5.6 cm; 27.7 ± 2.3 kg/m²; 44.9 ± 4.0 ml.kg^-1.min^-1) of the riot police. In the first session, the subjects performed a maximal treadmill stress test in which the peak oxygen consumption (VO_2peak) was measured. In the second session, shooting performance (score) and shooting time were measured pre and post-exercise, as well as the time spent to complete a circuit of obstacle running (297 m). Shooting efficiency index was calculated as the ratio between total score and shooting time. The Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed the normal distribution of the data. A paired t-test was used to compare the post-exertion outcomes variables as well as the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results:

The time to complete the running circuit was 75.3 ± 4.4 s. Shooting performance (20.4 ± 11.4 vs. 17.6 ± 9.3 points), time (4.48 ± 1.1 vs. 4.23 ± 0.9 s), and efficiency (4.69 ± 2.7 vs. 4.35 ± 2.7 pts/s) did not present significant differences (P>0.2). Additionally, a correlation was detected between VO_2peak and running time (r = -0.64; P=0.01), but not with shooting performance (P>0.05).

Conclusion:

Physical exertion does not affect shooting performance of military police officers. Although the level of aerobic fitness was not associated with shooting performance, it was associated with physical performance prior to shooting.

Keywords:
firearms; fatigue; exercise; police; psychophysiology