Activation and tremor of the shoulder muscles to the demands of an archery task

Physiological tremor and strength during the maintenance of shoulder position occur during a precision aiming task, such as archery. It is unclear how positions for precision demands affect physiological tremor and associated muscular activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the tremor amplitude and muscular activities of the shoulder between the various positions for precision demands. Ten males (age 21.9 +/- 2.0 years) participated in the study. Electromyography (EMG) was quantified on eight humeral/scapular muscles. The tremor was measured by the acceleration component of a motion tracking sensor in the 3-7 Hz and 8-12 Hz frequency bands. Participants simulated six preparatory archery shooting positions (3 arm angles x 2 arm draw positions) and performed isometric contractions. The relative root mean square (RMS) amplitudes of the shoulder muscles were significantly greater for the full drawing position compared with the partial position (humeral muscles: P=0.011; scapular muscles: P=0.026). In the full drawing position, increased humeral/scapular muscle EMG amplitude was moderately associated with an increased power spectrum of 8-12/3-7 Hz tremor in humerus/scapula motion (R=0.43-0.57). To minimize fluctuations in high strength muscle performance, 90 degrees of elevation in the full drawing position may be a suitable position for demands in archery. In addition, scapular muscle amplitude is important for stability to reduce humerus tremor during archery performance.