Activation patterns in forearm muscles during archery shooting.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics of sports
• Human motor control
• Sports science

Background:

• Archery involves complex muscle coordination during bowstring release.
• The specific forearm muscle activation patterns during release are not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze forearm muscle contraction and relaxation strategies during bowstring release.
• To compare these strategies across different expertise levels: elite archers, beginners, and non-archers.

Main Methods:

• Electromyography (EMG) recorded forearm muscle activity (M. flexor digitorum superficialis, M. extensor digitorum).
• Data collected synchronized with clicker release, analyzed 1s before and after.
• EMG signals were rectified, integrated, normalized, and averaged per subject and group.

Main Results:

• All participants showed M. extensor digitorum contraction and M. flexor digitorum superficialis relaxation post-clicker.
• Elite archers released ~100ms after clicker, beginners ~200ms, non-archers ~300ms.
• Non-archers exhibited a distinct preparatory phase with significant extensor activity.

Conclusions:

• Bowstring release is achieved through active forearm extensor contraction.
• A distinct relaxation of forearm flexors influencing release was not evident in this study.
• Expertise level significantly impacts the timing and preparatory phases of the release mechanism.