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There is an Olympic competition known as a biathlon, which starts with cross-country skiing and ends with rifle shooting. From the perspective of arousal theory and peak performance, why might this competition be particularly challenging?

1. Physiological arousal will increase during the skiing, making it difficult to lower arousal to a more moderate level needed to perform well enough to shoot a precise target.

2. It is difficult to be able to do two very different tasks in one competition.

3. Parasympathetic activity will increase during the skiing, making it difficult to lower parasympathetic activity to a more moderate level needed to perform well enough to shoot a precise target.

4. Skiing will activate the amygdala, which will cause bad aim during shooting.

Answer :

The biathlon is challenging because it requires athletes to quickly switch from a high arousal state needed for skiing to a low arousal state for precise shooting, which is difficult according to the arousal theory and peak performance. Therefore, the correct answer is option 1) Physiological arousal will increase during the skiing so it will be difficult to lower arousal to a more moderate level needed to perform well enough to shoot a precise target.

Participating in the Olympic biathlon can be particularly challenging due to its demand for athletes to master two very different sets of skills cross-country skiing and rifle shooting which require contrasting levels of physiological arousal. The arousal theory and peak performance indicate that an optimal, moderate level of arousal generally yields the best performance. Cross-country skiing typically heightens physiological arousal due to its physically demanding nature. Athletes experience an increase in heart rate, heavy breathing, and an adrenaline rush, which is ideal for endurance-based sports. However, immediately after this intense activity, athletes are required to shoot a precise target, a task that necessitates calmness, stable breathing, and low physiological arousal for optimal hand-eye coordination and concentration.

The switching from the high arousal state necessary for skiing to the low arousal state ideal for shooting is where the challenge lies. It is not skiing that directly causes bad aim during shooting by activating the amygdala, but rather the difficulty in quickly adjusting one's arousal level from high during skiing to the moderate or low level needed for precision in shooting. Therefore, the most accurate option to explain why the biathlon might be particularly challenging, from the perspective of arousal theory and peak performance, is the first one.

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Rewritten by : Jeany