Evaluation of explosive strength ability of the upper body for athletic throwers

Abstract

Physical fitness evaluation of throwing athletes has been performed based on measurement items for the purpose of power evaluation of the lower limbs and whole body; however, the method for assessing the muscle strength and exertion of the upper body has not been acknowledged extensively. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the evaluation of the explosive muscle performance of the upper body of an athlete using several measurement parameters, including push up jump (PJ), countermovement push up (CMPU) flight time, medicine ball throw (MBT), countermovement medicine ball throw, and one repetition maximum of the bench press (BP-1RM). The relationship between these measurement items and athletic performance as determined using the IAAF score was examined. Eleven male athletes training on a daily basis were enrolled. A significant positive correlation between MBT and athletic performance was observed, indicating the usefulness of physical fitness evaluation in athletes. Conversely, PJ and CMPU were not associated with athletic performance, suggesting that these parameters may be negatively affected by the subject’s weight. Further, BP-1RM did not show a significant correlation with athletic performance, owing to the fact that the exertion characteristics of one repetition maximum do not reflect the shrinkage rate of the muscle required for throwing. It is recommended that athletes select an event wherein their weight positively affects the competitive ability and does not affect measurement parameters. Further, explosive muscle performance without counter movements maybe incorporated into the physical fitness assessment of athletes.