title: Experience modulates the psychophysiological response of airborne warfighters during a tactical combat parachute jump.
abstract: We aimed to analyse the effect of experience level in the psychophysiological response and specific fine motor skills of novel and expert parachute warfighters during a tactical combat parachute jump. We analysed blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, salivary cortisol, blood glucose, lactate and creatinkinase, leg strength, isometric hand-grip strength, cortical arousal, specific fine motor skills and cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confident before and after a tactical combat parachute jump in 40 warfighters divided in two group, novel (n=17) and expert group (n=23). Novels presented a higher heart rate, lactate, cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and a lower self-confident than experts during the jump. We concluded that experience level has a direct effect on the psychophysiological response since novel paratroopers presented a higher psychophysiological response than compared to the expert ones, however this result neither affected the specific fine motor skills nor the muscle structure after a tactical combat parachute jump.
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Applied Combat (CESCA), Toledo, Spain; Department of Sport Science, European University of Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: vctxente@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Vicente Javier
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Clemente-Suárez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Sport & Human Movement, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de la Vega
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Applied Combat (CESCA), Toledo, Spain; Light Forces Head Quarter of the Spanish Army, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Juan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Robles-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Light Forces Head Quarter of the Spanish Army, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lautenschlaeger
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Science School, European University of Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Lucas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001359:Aviation; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Anxiety; Cortisol; Heart rate; Military; Novel-expert paradigm; Parachute jump; Strength; Stress