Trait-state anxiety levels and heart rate changes of inexperienced parachutists at repeating jumps

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the changes on the heart rate (HR) and trait-state anxiety levels of inexperienced parachute jumpers facing frequently strong stressors.Method: This research was performed by the involvement of nine inexperienced parachute course students; five subjects enrolled in `automatic parachute jumping (static jumping)? and four subjects enrolled in `accelerated freefall (AFF)? courses. Before the subjects started the parachute jumping their physical (height (cm), weight (kg), body fat percentage (%)), cardiovascular ( systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), ECG, resting heart rate (beats/minute)) measurements were taken.State anxiety measurements were taken using the `State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) State Anxiety Scale? before the jumps started without subject to a strong stressor, at the first and fifth jumps, on the ground and in the plane. Trait anxiety measurements were taken using the `STAI Trait Anxiety Scale? before the jumps started and after the jumps ended.The heart rates of all subjects were measured by heart rate monitor breast strap and watches at the first, third and fifth jumps, which recorded the heart rates every second in synch with the altitude.Results: There are significant changes between the first and fifth jumps. These measurements are; subjects? mean HR in the plane before take of 1min (p=0.043), HR during takeoff (p=0.042), HR in the plane during climbing first 500m (p=0.018) and first 1000m (p=0.028), parachute opening HR (p=0.017), HR at 1000m to landing (p=0.018), and 500m to landing (p=0.018), and landing HR (p=0.028), mean HR 1 min after landing (p=0.043), mean HR from plane takeoff until exit (p=0.018) and mean HR from plane exit until landing (p=0.018).There was no change in the subjects? trait anxiety as a result of facing repeated acute stresses by parachute jumping. State anxiety measured after the first jump is significantly lower (p=0.021) compared to the one measured before the jumps started on the ground. State anxiety measured on the ground is significantly lower (p=0.021) on the first jump and (p=0.017) on the fifth jump, compared to the one measured on the plane.There was no change in the state anxiety in the plane and on the ground after the jump after repetitions.Meaningful correlations were seen between the trait and state anxiety, trait anxiety and some HR measurements, state anxiety and HR only on one measurement during the first jump.Conclusion: Significant drops in the HR of the subjects were seen after repeating parachute jumps which is a strong acute stressor. For the first and fifth jumps there is no significant change between the state anxiety measured before the jumps in the plane and the one measured on the ground a while after landing.This might show that although there was no change in the self assessment, there can be changes in the physiologic anxiety symptoms like HR.Since there was no correlation between the state anxiety and the HR except one measurement, it might show that these two anxiety symptoms increase and decrease independently.The correlation between the trait anxiety and some HR measurements might show that the tendency to perceive a situation as stressful is related to the HR.HR changes and trait-state anxiety changes can further be researched in the future by parachute jumps with more repetitions (comparing the results to the first jumps) and use of scales more than one.Keywords : Inexperienced, Repeating, Parachute, Heart Rate, Anxiety