The behavior of the cardiac rhythm under intense stress was studied with continuous electrocardiographic recording during the first jump with an automatic parachute in 13 members of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México sky diving club. There were 12 male (92.3%) and one female (7.68) with an average age of 22.8 years. A complete clinical history, 12 lead electrocardiogram and a treadmill stress test were performed two weeks before jumping. A two-channel Holter recording system was hooked up 30 min. before boarding the airplane and was turned off one hour later. The heart rate values were compared two weeks prior (64.5 beats/min), before (112.8 beats/min), during (170 beats/min) and after the jump (122.8 beats/min). The mean difference between each phase was statistically significant with p less than 0.001 values. The observed cardiac rhythm was sinus tachycardia in each case. In six cases (43.6%) 22 episodes of sudden decrease of the heart rate were seen and there were no major rhythm or conduction disturbances. The urinary catecholamines were similar in nine cases (69.2%) after the jump (x 51.2 micrograms/100 ml) and two weeks later in four control cases (x 10.3 micrograms/100 ml). We concluded there were no significant rhythm disturbances in the presence of an intense but brief stress condition in young healthy people. This study was classified as longitudinally, descriptive, experimental and projective.