title: A Comparison of Frontal Theta Activity During Shooting among Biathletes and Cross-Country Skiers before and after Vigorous Exercise.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies using electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity have linked higher frontal theta activity to more focused attention and superior performance in goal-directed precision tasks. In biathlon, shooting performance requires focused attention after high-intensity cross-country skiing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare biathletes (serving as experts) and cross-country skiers (novices) and examine the effect of vigorous exercise on frontal theta activity during shooting.
  
  
  METHODS
  EEG frontal theta (4-7 Hz) activity was compared between nine biathletes and eight cross-country skiers at comparable skiing performance levels who fired 100 shots on a 5-m indoor shooting range in quiescent condition followed by 20 shots after each of five 6-min high-intensity roller skiing sessions in the skating technique on a treadmill.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biathletes hit 80±14% and 81±10% before and after the roller skiing sessions, respectively. For the cross-country skiers these values were significantly lower than for the biathletes and amounted to 39±13% and 44±11% (p<0.01). Biathletes had on average 6% higher frontal theta activity during shooting as compared to cross-country skiers (F1,15 = 4.82, p = 0.044), but no significant effect of vigorous exercise on frontal theta activity in either of the two groups were found (F1,15 = 0.14, p = 0.72).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biathletes had significantly higher frontal theta activity than cross-country skiers during shooting, indicating higher focused attention in biathletes. Vigorous exercise did not decrease shooting performance or frontal theta activity during shooting in biathletes and cross-country skiers.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Elite Sports Research, Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luchsinger
authors.affiliation: Centre for Elite Sports Research, Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Øyvind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Sandbakk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department Exercise & Health, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: Centre for Elite Sports Research, Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Gertjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ettema
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, Department Exercise & Health, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baumeister
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012865:Skiing; D013177:Sports; D055815:Young Adult