[Stability in shooting: the effect of expertise in the biathlon and in rifle shooting].

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the body-gun stability of biathletes and rifle shooters up to the firing of a shot, when shooting in standing position. Eight subjects are tested: two experts and two novices in rifle shooting, two experts and two novices in biathlon. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and deltoid muscles, as well as rifle oscillation and centre-of-pressure displacements were recorded during a set of ten shots per subject. The results revealed that expert biathletes seem to use a different strategy than expert rifle shooters, each of them adapting to the characteristics of their respective discipline. No significant pattern emerged from tests with novice rifle shooters, as their scores correlated only weakly with the various parameters measured in this study.