interesting and maybe true heart rates and effects

[Bill]

As your stress level increases so does your heart rate. As your heart rate increases your ability to process information decreases. You quickly become an animal.

In the following discussion the heart rate increases are NOT due to physical exertion but only due to stress. The best way to understand this is to imagine that you have been sitting quietly at your desk in deep thought for 20 minutes and someone sneaks behind you and blasts a football game air horn right behind your head. NOW take your pulse....

60 to 80 beats per minute

You can consciously remember what to do. The forebrain is for reason and abstraction: "If this happens then I'll do this". At this nominal stress level you function normally.

115 beats per minute

Vasoconstriction starts. Your body starts to close down in a way similar to being in a cold environment. The body core temperature is maintained but you lose motor skills. This can make the removal of your pistol from the holster more difficult. You might drop the pistol. By now most prudent people would have removed their pistol from the holster and directed it .. its open end … toward the stimulus in question.

115-150 beats per minute

Fight or flight. All fine motor skills are now gone. Your forebrain is still working. You can aim the pistol in a gross way but have lessened control over the trigger. You might not know that you have even pulled the trigger or you might think that you have pulled the trigger but actually have not.

175 beats per minute

Your forebrain is hijacked by midbrain -- the primitive part. You don't bleed much if you are bitten. Blood is now being directed to your large muscle groups so that you can fight to the death. The midbrain is for fight, flight, feeding, fury. You will physically be unable to think or even remember. You will do only what you have been well conditioned to do.

By now you should have taken whatever steps needed to stop the threat.

Bill

[MrDrummy]

You will do only what you have been well conditioned to do.

All the more reason to PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

[stroo]

Are there any exercises that help you control your heart rate under stress. Some people don't seem to react to stress in that way. Rather they seem to remain cool. Seems like there should be some way to train that.

[jbirds1210]

Stroo-

There is a good article on exactly what you are talking about in this months American Handgunner (Page 24 Ayoob)

The article discusses success under stress and if it is a good idea for police officers to participate in competitive shooting.....the overall answer was a big YES! Small article, but a good one....check it out.

Jason

[Mithras61]

Tachypsychia can have a huge impact as well. Generally in emergency situations, my perception of time is that everything except me is in slow motion. In fact, I have used it on occasion to my personal benefit (response time in an accident I managed to avoid by being able to react much faster than normal reaction times, for example).

In my case, it appears to be something that runs in my family, as both my brothers and father have similar reactions, but my sisters do not.

I don't plan to ever need to depend on this, but I don't plan to need my pistol either...

[fm2]

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

[TxFire]

That last article stated very well what I was going to say. Increased heart rate is but one of the factors in a fear/anxiety situation. Heart rate alone is not an issue, the other factors cause the problems.

I run a lot, I can run my heart rate up to 170-180 under hard training. I still have my fine motor skills intact. But I am not experiencing the body's fight or flight reaction either.

[Bill]

please read the first sentence, stress caused the heart rate jump. The stress was induced from fear. There is a direct relation in heart rate and fear. Those who heart rates do not climb in fearful situtations are either not fearful (possible) or in control of their fear. Be well trained and you will be in control of your fear
Bill

[stevie_d_64]

Be well trained and you will be in control of your fear.

Absolutely agree...

Fear, and how you react to that input is the key...Flee or fight...

The physiological effects of the emotion "fear" is in some ways manifested in how well you react...I cannot dispute seeing how some "freeze" if a threat presents itself...You just don't really know unless, like others have said, train, and effectively practice methods to defend yourself until it becomes a "controlled" second-nature...

I would also state that even if you think you're in a perfect world, and you feel like you can deal with and master anything, or any threat...

Nope...I don't even assume that with myself...

I would just tell someone to do your best, learn not to get yourself into bad situations as best you can, and when the time comes if you have to defend yourself...

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst...

I believe for the most part, a lot of the folks here do just fine...

[TxFire]

Neat read on the subject.

http://www.officer.com/article/article. ... eSection=3

[GSchretter]

Neat read on the subject.

http://www.officer.com/article/article. ... eSection=3

Great article. I have been in several events in my life that have triggered the flight or fight and when it happening I realize what is occuring but it takes seconds to gain control but it still seems I move slow and my eyes sight stays tunnel visioned for so long.

One thing that has helped me is I say to myself RELAX and then I take a breath and then for some reason I smile (WEIRD) and my strength comes back twice fold but my eye sight still stays tunneled. I guess I am getting close but still have allot of work to do. My heart does not beat hard or fast it seems to stay the same but I do have a hard time catching my breath.

I guess we are all different and some of us are just weird.