Methods
SUBJECTS
Elite shooters were openly invited from-for
practical reasons-five shooting clubs deliberately
chosen from the Oslo area. Being an
inclusion criterion, all the shooters had performed
above 236 (of a maximum 250) points
in a standard programme of the National Rifle
Association of Norway (NRAN): five shots
prone (1.5 min), five shots standing (3 min),
five shots kneeling (2 min), and 10 consecutive
shots (three standing, three kneeling, and four
prone) in 3 min, in total 25 shots giving a
maximum score of 250 points.
Twenty five shooters of both sexes (21 males
and four females) responded. They had a
median age of 25 (range 18 to 46) years. Before
the relaxation intervention no significant differences
were detected between the groups in
either the mean competition score (1992) or
the results of the mean baseline test shootings
(figs 1 and 2). The keen shooter takes part in
25-40 competitions per season on average
(NRAN data). NRAN files showed that in the
outdoor season after the intervention (1993),
the study subjects had participated in a median
of 27 competitions (range 5-64).