A novel integrated training program for police pistol use across multiple operational scenarios: a randomized...

This study investigated the effects of Resonance Frequency Breathing (RFB), Mindfulness Training (MT), and Combined Training (CT) on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), mindfulness level, and pistol-shooting performance among police academy cadets. Eighty cadets were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 20 each), including three experimental groups and a Control Group. HR, HRV frequency-domain indices [low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF ratio], total mindfulness questionnaire scores, and shooting performance in the Static, Rapid, and Tactical Shooting Tasks were measured before and after the intervention. All three interventions significantly reduced HR (RFB p < 0.05; MT p < 0.01; CT p < 0.001) and increased HRV indices (p < 0.001). Mindfulness scores improved significantly in the MT and CT groups (p < 0.001), whereas the RFB group showed a slight decrease (p < 0.05). A significant group × time interaction effect was observed for mindfulness (η _p ² = 0.842). Shooting performance improved significantly in all experimental groups (p < 0.001), with large between-group effect sizes observed in Static Shooting (η _p ²= 0.685), Rapid Shooting (η _p ² = 0.585), and Tactical Shooting (η _p ² = 0.518). The CT group demonstrated the greatest performance improvements, particularly in complex shooting tasks. The control group showed a minor increase in overall shooting score (p < 0.05) but no significant changes in individual tasks (p > 0.05). These results suggest that CT effectively enhances autonomic regulation and psychological readiness, leading to better shooting performance in police cadets.