A study of quiet eye's phenomenon in the shooting section of “laser run” of modern pentathlon

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of the Quiet eye (QE) phenomenon on performances during the shooting section of “Laser Run” of Modern Pentathlon, in two samples of athletes (novices and experts). The “Laser Run” consists of running and shooting activities. The study involved 18 experienced athletes of the Italian National Team of Modern Pentathlon (i.e., “elite” group) and 18 young and nonexpert athletes of a local Pentathlon club (i.e., “novice” group). Participants performed, in ecological conditions, five trials of four series of shootings (as it occurs in the real competitions), for a total of 20 series. During the shooting trials, athletes wore a mobile Eye Tracking System to record eye movements (saccades, blinks, and fixations). Key measures of the study were QE parameters (QE Duration [QED], Relative QED [RQED], and QE Onset), as well as the performance (accuracy and time to perform the event). The results revealed that both groups of athletes had a longer QED, RQED, and an earlier onset during their best shots than during the worse ones. Furthermore, differences between the groups showed that elite athletes had an earlier onset and a shorter QED than the novice group of athletes. These results provide insightful information about different cognitive and perceptual processes involved in Modern Pentathlon's athletes' performances at both the elite and non‐elite level.

Relative Contribution among Physical Fitness Factors Contributing to the Performance of Modern Pentathlon

“…Based on this trend that the combined (running and shooting) score leads to a pentathlete’s final rank, Lee and Ahn (2012) suggested that the Korean pentathletes are approximately 3.8% behind in shooting performance compared with the world record holder, and thus they need to be able to cover 3000 m in under 9 min and 20 s during the running segment in order to reach a world record [ 17 ]. Their claim supports this study’s finding that indicates that the combined (running and shooting) performance has a huge impact on the final rank in the international competitions [ 18 ].…”

High-Pressure Game Conditions Affect Quiet Eye Depending on the Player’s Expertise: Evidence from the Basketball Three-Point Shot

“…[ 19 , 27 ]. The type of task the athlete is performing seems to influence the gaze behavior e.g., [ 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] and, accordingly, the specific function that QE could fulfill in that task. Several authors have proposed that it is possible to comprehend and analyze QE functions referring to QE timing (when QE begins and ends with respect to the critical movement, cf.…”

“…Such a process can occur to plan the movement parameters, fulfill a preprogramming function, or monitor the ongoing action, in the case of an online control function [ 19 , 29 , 33 , 63 ]. Evidence from the literature suggested that the type of task could determine the specific function fulfilled by QE [ 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. In particular, QE seems to fulfill an online control function in the motor actions in which the movement permits the observation of the ongoing action (cf.…”

A Pilot Study of the Reliability and Agreement of Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate and Short-Term Heart Rate Variability in Elite Modern Pentathlon Athletes

“…Events last up to 8 h in duration, making energy and physiological demands close to maximal [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. To date, there are few studies addressing modern pentathlon athletes [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ] and we have found no data within the literature on the reliability of HRV in this population. Establishing the typical variation in HRV among this population is necessary to aid coaches in detecting meaningful changes related to pentathletes’ training status.…”