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A little more for consideration.

From the latest Force Science Research Center Newsletter (#64 )


"DO HIGH HEART RATES REALLY HURT FINE MOTOR SKILLS?
Heath Appleton
Deputy Probation Ofcr. II
Gang Intervention & Suppression Unit Kern County (CA) Probation Dept.

DR. BILL LEWINSKI, Executive Director of the Force Science Research Center at Minnesota State University-Mankato, RESPONDS:

The idea that a high heart rate causes a loss of fine motor skills is a myth. The culprit is fear or anger, not heart rate per se.

It's true that if you reach a very high heart rate through physical exertion and are trying to both sight a handgun and breathe, for example, you may experience some MINOR issues with fine psychomotor skills. However, keep in mind that well-trained biathlon athletes fire accurate shots with a pulse of 180 bpm, and even mediocre sandlot basketball players under the high pulse rates of a very competitive game make pretty good shots.

We much more noticeably lose psychomotor skills under fear or anger, primarily because of our inability to focus attention properly when distressed. The key is training.

With a proper training program that allows you to repeatedly practice your skills while under a high degree of stress, you will build your confidence and reduce the impact of negative emotions so that you can maintain your fine-motor dexterity when faced with real-life challenges. In other words, good training can help you build a history of successful performance under high stress.

Heath, don't worry about your thumb."
http://www.forcescience.org/


It seems to me heart rate only tells part of the story. Ventricular contractile force increases under load as well. Therefore, a stimulus can produce a huge "squeeze" (much higher cardiac output) virtually instantaneously. This effect can circulate adrenaline and other hormones very quickly compared to baseline.

I believe it's the psycho-emotional circumstances that dictate performance at high HRs, not the mere presence of the high HR