The United States Army Marksmanship Unit Training Manual

a. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol acts as a depressant rather than a stimulant. It dulls the senses, lessens the desire to win, destroys coordination and lessens the shooter’s ability to concentrate. Alcohol taken at the proper time in the proper amount might possibly lessen the shooter’s anxiety but by doing so other effects are released that are far more harmful to the body and detrimental to the shooter’s score. No one can say what the right amount is or when it should be taken. Some shooters may shoot a good score with a hangover. But, the second day is when the after affects become acutely noticeable and the shooter’s control may disintegrate on the firing line.

b. Experimental research scientists using delicate tests and sensitive instruments, have been able to demonstrate the adverse effect of even small amounts of alcohol on various isolated bodily functions such as sensory perception and discrimination, reaction time, fine coordination, judgment, alertness and efficiency of dexterity. The changes observed have no apparent difference in quality, magnitude or expression from those due to fatigue, hunger, distraction and a host of other environmental factors. These facts establish that one small drink of intoxicating beverage places the shooter under an enormous handicap. The false feeling of well-being is deceptive. Alcohol, and gun powder do not mix.

What’s wrong with drinking coffee? That is easy — caffeine. Each cup contains an amount equal to about two pinches of salt. That doesn’t sound like much, until you realize that it is one-third of the amount given by doctors as a heart stimulant. With three cups of coffee you are getting a dose of caffeine calculated by scientists to be medically effective for making a weakened heart work as hard and fast as a normal heart. When a heart is ready to quit, and won’t pump another beat without the help of caffeine, maybe such a measure is justified. Are you sure your heart is ready for a synthetic jolt three to six times a day?

1. Effects of Coffee on the Human Body: Many coffee drinkers say they can’t do without it as a pick-me-up during the day. But let us see what really happens after that coffee break. Dr. Rolf Ulrich, in his book, “Coffee and Caffeine”, reports that after coffee consumption, mental tempo rises first, and speed of association increases, but there is a noticeable decrease in the quality of work being done. In test examinations it was seen that the subjects finished quicker, but that false conclusions were more frequent. Reliability and accuracy definitely took a beating as a result of a coffee pep-up.

The physical result is the same. Caffeine raises muscular output temporarily, but in severe physical demands of longer duration, the muscular output decreases. As a famous scientist has said, “Coffee acts like a spur, which drives a horse to do its best, but cannot replace oats.”. That is the whole problem in humans — many of them do expect coffee to take the place of “oats”. They pass up a solid breakfast because they can get by with coffee. The stimulating and exhilarating affects coffee produces is usually followed by a loss of energy and a feeling of unsteadiness. No matter how we look at it, coffee takes more from the body than it gives. All coffees contain caffeine but in varying amounts. Fresh ground coffee is the most potent in caffeine. Instant coffees contain half as much and decaffeinated coffees contain about one third as much. It is imperative that a shooter refrain from drinking coffee before and during the shooting session and be moderate in coffee consumption when not firing.

2. Are you considering a change of pace drink, like tea? Before you do, read the following:

It is not generally known that tea has larger amounts of caffeine and tannic acid (the two most detrimental ingredients) per weight, than coffee. Caffeine in tea leaves is about three percent in ratio of one to two percent in coffee. The general effects of caffeine are cerebral, cardiac and diuretic (copious urination) stimulation. As to tannic acid, tea leaves have about ten percent while coffee berries have only about five percent content. Tannic acid, when brought into contact with mucous membrane, acts as an astringent and diminishes its secretions. It coagulates albuminous substances and thus hardens animal source food matter in the stomach with which it comes in contact. It also leads to more rapid clotting of the blood when absorbed into blood circulation. There is evidence of liver damage from extensive use. In solution, it is unstable and should not come in contact with metals. Since coffee is made about twice as strong as tea in liquid form, a strong cupful of either will contain about two grains of caffeine and over three grains of tannic acid.

3. A shooter should stay away from the colas. Cola drinks, in addition to other soft drinks, contain that well known perk-up ingredient, caffeine. The bottles of some brands contain a listing of cola contents which should serve as a reminder. Know them and avoid them while shooting.

For a period after January 1964 when the U. S. Surgeon General (see paragraph D-3, this chapter) revealed to the American public the results of an investigation into cigarette smoking and health, many smokers quit the habit. At the end of one year a poll taken revealed that one out of every four hundred smokers had quit. This small percentage points up the fact that most smokers will continue the habit no matter what the future consequences might be. The smoking habit is easily acquired and even after a short duration becomes a difficult habit to break. For this reason one who has not yet acquired the habit should be encouraged to abstain. The objective of this section is to provide you the shooter with information that will enable you to establish control of smoking in order to improve your shooting. Who knows, once you gain control of the smoking habit and can turn it on or off at will you might be inspired to quit all together.

1. The Effects Tobacco has on the Human Body. Nicotine is a powerful alkaloid poison. Its chemical formula in C10H14N2, which means that it contains carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen in the proportions indicated by the numbers.

a. Being a volatile substance, it is carried along with the burning smoke of the tobacco. In cigarettes about 61 percent of the nicotine is burned and destroyed, 27 percent is ordinarily exhaled, and about 12 percent is absorbed by the smoker. The absorbed nicotine specifically affects the nerves that regulate the heart rate and the size of the blood vessels, and, therefore, alters the pulse rate and the blood pressure. For about ten minutes after smoking is begun, the pulse rate is slowed about five beats per minute because of an increased stimulation of the nerves that slow the heart beat. After this temporary slowing effect, nicotine depresses these same nerves. This results in an increased pulse rate that lasts for two or three hours. The increase, for the average person, is from five to ten extra beats per minute. One cigarette after breakfast will step up heart beat for half the shooting day. With the damage already done, abstaining for the rest of the day’s shooting is to small avail. The work of the heart is affected not only by the increased pulse rate but also by the decrease in size of the arteries. Both of these factors raise blood pressure and increase the work of the heart.

b. The carbon monoxide which is also present in tobacco smoke will, if inhaled, reduce the capacity of the hemoglobin of the red corpuscles to carry oxygen. This is due to the fact that hemoglobin absorbs carbon monoxide about 300 times faster than it does oxygen with which it ordinarily combines. Therefore, to the extent that the blood takes on carbon monoxide it cannot in that same proportion, carry oxygen. This results in “cutting the wind”, or breathlessness, whenever there is exertion.