Shooting under cardiovascular load: Electroencephalographic activity in preparation for biathlon shooting

Abstract

This study explored the influence of sub-maximal cardiovascular load on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity preceding biathlon shooting. Frontal-midline theta and alpha power were examined to assess monitoring processes and cortical inhibition, respectively. Thirteen experienced biathletes (mean age: 17years; 5 males, 8 females) fired sets of five consecutive shots from the standing position at a 50-meter-distant target, under two fixed-order conditions: (i) at rest and (ii) immediately after 3-minute exercise on a bicycle ergometer at 90% of maximum heart rate (HR). HR and rate of physical exertion (RPE) were measured as manipulation checks. Shooting accuracy was assessed in target rings for each shot. Frontal-midline theta and alpha power were computed in the last second preceding each shot from average-reference 61-channel EEG and inter-individual differences were minimized through a median-scaled log transformation (Appendix). HR and RPE increased under cardiovascular load, however, shooting accuracy did not change. Pre-shooting frontal-midline theta power decreased, whereas alpha power increased over temporal and occipital - but not central - regions. These changes were larger for greater HR values. Additionally, higher frontal-midline theta, lower left-central alpha, and higher left-temporal alpha power were associated with more accurate shooting. These findings suggest that monitoring processes are beneficial to shooting performance but can be impaired by sub-maximal cardiovascular load. Greater inhibition of movement-irrelevant regions (temporal, occipital) and concomitant activation of movement-related regions (central) indicate that greater neural efficiency is beneficial to shooting performance and can allow trained biathletes to shoot accurately despite physically demanding conditions.

Don’t look, don’t think, just do it! Toward an understanding of alpha gating in a discrete aiming task

“…In other words, the gating pattern became more intense just before the start of movement execution. Our finding replicates that of Gallicchio, Finkenzeller, et al () who observed a focal topography of alpha power prior to rifle shooting but not at rest. These findings help consolidate the argument that the alpha gating phenomenon observed in motor tasks is specific to preparation for movement.…”

“…Within the framework of the alpha gating-by-inhibition model (Jensen & Mazaheri, 2010), this result can be interpreted as deficient gating of cognitive resources across the cortex. In line with previous interpretations of the movement-related alpha gating phenomenon (Gallicchio et al, 2017;Gallicchio, Finkenzeller, et al, 2016), the weaker alpha gate observed for the random group reflects less psychomotor efficiency (Hatfield, 2018;Hatfield & Hillman, 2001) compared to the blocked group. These novel findings provide evidence that increased inhibition of cortical regions that are not involved with movement seems to be more important than increased activation of regions that are responsible for movement control.…”

“…Based on the proposed inhibitory function of cortical alpha (Klimesch, ; Klimesch et al, ) and the gating‐by‐inhibition model (Jensen & Mazaheri, ), our findings imply that cognitive activity was clearly diverted away from processes performed in the occipital region and, to a lesser extent, the temporal and frontal regions, and instead routed toward processes performed in the central regions. This finding provides further evidence of the existence of the aiming movement‐related alpha gating phenomenon (Gallicchio et al, ; Gallicchio, Finkenzeller, et al, ).…”

“…It is worth pointing out that the left temporal region appears to play a special role in the control and learning of motor skills. Previous investigations have observed greater alpha power (i.e., stronger inhibition) in the left temporal region as a function of expertise (Haufler, Spalding, Santa Maria, & Hatfield, ), performance (Gallicchio, Finkenzeller, et al, ), and training (Gallicchio et al, ; Kerick, Douglass, & Hatfield, ; Landers et al, ). Past studies have also found increased functional disconnection between the left temporal region and other regions involved with movement as a function of expertise (Deeny, Hillman, Janelle, & Hatfield, ), performance (Gallicchio, Cooke, & Ring, ), and training (Gallicchio et al, ; Zhu, Poolton, Wilson, Maxwell, & Masters, ).…”

“…Absolute alpha power was computed with no baseline correction; instead, skewness and between-subjects differences in the power density distribution were minimized through a median-scaled log transformation, whereby power values of each participant were scaled by the median of all values within that participant and then subjected to a 10·log10 transformation (cf. Gallicchio, Finkenzeller, et al, 2016). Absolute alpha power was computed for both types of epoch-time-locked to backswing initiation and cue onset.…”