Author(s): Sharath N, Sukumara and Kishore Kumar CK

Abstract:
The present study was undertaken to investigate the surface electromyographic activity of selected upper limb muscles Biceps Brachii (BB), Triceps Brachii (TB), and Deltoid Medialis (DM) on both right and left sides during the execution of the discus throw by elite male athletes. The primary objectives were to examine the muscle activation patterns, assess side dominance, and evaluate intramuscular coordination during this highly explosive and rotational athletic movement. Ten elite male discus throwers were selected as subjects for this study. Surface EMG sensors were placed bilaterally on the BB, TB, and DM muscles. The EMG signals were recorded during actual throwing trials, normalized against Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC), and expressed in terms of Root Mean Square (RMS) values. For statistical analysis, paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests were employed to compare the muscle activation between the dominant (right) and non-dominant (left) limbs. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed to analyses the inter-muscular relationships within each limb. The results revealed significantly higher muscle activation in all right-side muscles when compared to their respective left-side counterparts (p<0.05). The peak RMS values were consistently observed in the throwing limb, thereby indicating its predominant role in force generation. Conversely, the left upper limb exhibited notably lower activation levels, consistent with its supportive function during the throw. No statistically significant intramuscular correlations were found within either limb, suggesting muscle-specific, phase-dependent activation patterns rather than synchronous coordination. The findings substantiate a marked neuromuscular asymmetry in elite discus throwers, with the dominant limb exhibiting superior muscle engagement. The muscle activation patterns appeared to function independently across the phases of the throw.

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