Shotput performance and muscular strength
Georgiadis Georgios, Karampatsos George, Kyriazis Thomas, Terzis Gerasimos
Track & Field Division, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Athens, Greece
Introduction
Shotput is a dynamic event demanding high power production (Terzis et al. 2003). One of the parameters, which
determine the power production of a muscle group (or the whole body), is muscular strength but the relationship
between strength and shotput performance has not been thoroughly examined. The purpose of the present study was
to investigate the relationship between squat and bench press muscular strength and shotput performance in subjects
with different skill ability.
Methods
Squat and bench press maximum (1RM) strength was measured in 17 male physical education students (age 21yrs,
body height 181±2cm, body weight 82±2kg, after a 2-week period of shot-put technique instruction) as well as 8
experienced shot-putters (age 25yrs, body height 191±5cm, body weight 113±8kg, minimum training experience of 5
years). On a separate session all subjects performed three shotput trials from the power position. Untrained subjects
used a 6-kg shot while shot-putters used a 7.260-kg shot.
Results
Correlation coefficients between the shotput performance and bench press 1RM was 0.68, P<0.01 and 0.83, P<0.01,
in untrained and shotput athletes respectively. Correlation coefficients between the shotput performance and squat
1RM was 0.55, P<0.01 and 0.78, P<0.05, in untrained and shotput athletes respectively.
120
160
150
100
1RM bence press (kg)
1RM bench press (kg)
110
90
80
70
60
r = 0.68
50
7
8
9
10
Shotput performance (m)
11
12
130
120
r = 0.83
110
40
6
140
13
100
12
13
14
15
16
17
Shotput performance (m)
Figure 1.Relationship between shotput performance (power position) and bench press 1 RM in untrained subjects
(left) and shot-putters (right).
Discussion
Results of the present study suggest that muscular strength is a very important parameter for shot put performance
for both the untrained and the trained individuals. Furthermore, the relation between shot put performance and
muscular strength is closer for the trained subjects. This could be attributed to the fact that trained shot-putters can
recruit their muscles more effectively than non-strength trained individuals.
References
Terzis G., Georgiadis G., Vassiliadou E., Manta P. (2003) Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 90:10-15.