Like many of us I’m sure, for years I lay under the misconception that a pulse as regular as a Swiss cuckoo clock was a potent harbinger of health and vitality. The truth, it turns out, is far more nuanced. Not only does a healthy heart pulsate irregularly, but the variability of its beats can reveal a huge amount about us, including the likelihood of us shooters hitting the next target.
Making the effort to understand heart rate variability (HRV), and how to manage and manipulate it, is a given in many other sports but it’s rarely practised in shooting. So, if you’re looking to gain an advantage over your competitors, listen to your heart, it’s trying to tell you something.
The beat goes on
Remember that first aid course you attended, where the teacher instructed you to feel another student’s wrist or neck for a strong, regular pulse? Well, they were pretty much bang on. A pulse that feels weak or irregular is usually a strong indication that something’s not quite shipshape. However, it’s a matter of degree. Although your pulse may feel like it’s beating as regularly as
