Original Research

Stress response of the autonomic nervous system on skydiving and freefall

C.C. Grant, N. Claassen, M. Viljoen
Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie | Vol 25, No 1 | a142 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/satnt.v25i1.142 | © 2006 C.C. Grant, N. Claassen, M. Viljoen | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 22 September 2006 | Published: 22 September 2006

About the author(s)

C.C. Grant, Departement Fisiologie, Skool vir Geneeskunde, Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van Pretoria, South Africa
N. Claassen, Departement Fisiologie, Skool vir Geneeskunde, Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van Pretoria, South Africa
M. Viljoen, Departement Fisiologie, Skool vir Geneeskunde, Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van Pretoria, South Africa

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Abstract

This study investigated the influence of skydiving and freefall, as well as that of visualisation, on the autonomic nervous system balance. The results showed a shift towards sympathetic dominance in the autonomic nervous system balance during skydiving and freefall. This shift was statistically significant in the inexperienced, but not in the experienced skydivers. A similar autonomic stress response was seen in the laboratory during visualisation of skydiving. Further studies are necessary to ascertain whether a difference exists between the extent to which experienced and inexperienced skydivers can induce the biological stress response through visualisation.

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