Marksmanship Performance with the M16A1 Rifle as a Function of Physical Fitness, Heart Rate, and Exercise Intensity

Fifty-two rifle naïve navy personnel underwent four days of simulated M16A1 live fire training in an artificial intelligent test bed trainer, followed by one day of live fire record qualification in the field. Prior to test bed training, subjects were administered the Army Physical Readiness Test (APRT) and assessed on their current level of physical fitness. At the end of test bed training the subjects participated in one of four exercise conditions (control, walk, job, or run) designed to elevate their hart rates. Immediately following exercise they shot a 10 round self-paced task at a scaled 250 meter target. Analysis of variance indicated no significant difference between fitness levels for the shot group size and standard deviation on the self-paced task. Significant differences were found based on exercise condition and heart rate during firing. Future research should utilize experienced marksmen and the exercise manipulation should occur immediately prior to live fire