Electromyography of arrow release in archery

An electronic arrow movement detector was used to accurately locate the muscle activity associated with release of the arrow during shooting in archery. Digital computer analysis of the electromyograms from thirty shots for two archers facilitated an examination of the relationship between the measured activity of the muscles and their function during release. Changes present in the direct and integrated electromyograms of muscles acting at the wrist and elbow joints of the bow arm and the shoulder of the draw arm tended to anticipate the moment of arrow release. These changes would produce muscular force to reduce unwanted movement at this critical phase of the shot in the bow arm and initiate release of the bow string by the fingers. This study provides a detailed quantitative analysis of the muscular action of the technique and identifies possibilities for prevention of injury by improving the understanding of muscle action in shooting.