Publication:

Upper arm strength as a predictor of throwing velocity in university-level male javelin throwers

Muscular strength, including dynamic (isotonic) and static (isometric) forms, is critical for athletic performance and is commonly assessed through maximal effort tests. The javelin throw differs from other throwing events due to its higher release velocity and very short execution time, requiring athletes to generate maximal force rapidly. Consequently, event-specific training is essential. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between upper arm strength and throwing velocity in university-level male javelin throwers. Eight male university javelin throwers (mean age=21.50±1.20 years) performed the seated medicine ball throw (5-kg) to assess upper arm strength and three maximal javelin throws to measure throwing velocity. The highest score from each test was used for analysis. Pearson’s correlation examined the relationship between upper arm strength and throwing velocity (p<0.05). University-level male javelin throwers demonstrated a mean seated medicine ball throw of 2.88±0.35 m and a mean throwing velocity of 87.78±1.94 km/hour. A Pearson correlation showed a very strong positive relationship between upper arm strength and javelin throwing velocity, r (8)=0.916, p=0.001. The findings indicate that greater upper arm strength is strongly associated with higher javelin throwing velocity. This underscores the importance of upper arm strength in javelin performance, while also suggesting that other factors may contribute to throwing velocity and merit further investigation.