A novel integrated training program for police pistol use across multiple operational scenarios: a randomized controlled trial of integrated psychological skill

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.