An electrocardiogram (ECG; a.k.a.
EKG) recording can be extremely useful for analysis of a variety of
physiological studies. When combined with automated ECG analysis software,
researchers can identify ECG intervals, assess heart rate variability (HRV),
classify heart beats, and much more. ECG analysis results can be used with other
parameters to perform a complete physiological examination. Analyzing changes in ECG rhythms can provide
valuable insight into stress, arousal, and exercise research. A wide
range of physiological studies incorporate ECG results, such as a recent one
performed measuring cognitive workloads of participants during a competitive
golf putting tournament. The researchers set about to compare whether kinematic
or psychological factors were more important for participant’s putting
performance. Since putting requires more delicacy and precision on the part of
the golfer, they hypothesized that psychological factors would be just as
important --if not more-- than kinematic factors. The participants were divided
into three groups, arranged by skill level, and given the CSAI-2 test, an exam
that scored the participants’ self-confidence in the competitive environment.
The groups then performed in 8 tournaments of putting 2.1m from the hole. The
researchers used a BIOPAC ECG module to record and analyze heart rate and HRV,
which they ranked as either high or low. They found that the winners of the
tournament had a lower HRV frequency, which was associated with a lower mental
workload. There were also big differences in self-confidence scores on the
CSAI-2 between the winners and losers of the groups (specifically of the highest
skill level group). The results indicate that participants with lower mental
stress performed better, meaning that psychological factors are important to
putting ability. Although more research needs to be done, the results seem to
indicate that psychological factors seem to be more important to a golfer’s
short game.
