Archers are stronger than non-sporting peers

The summary today

Almost all the comparisons point the same way, but they are small, cross-sectional and run against the easiest opponent. Grip strength is the measure most often repeated: in twenty young Malaysian archers a median of 35 kilos in the dominant hand against 25 in sedentary peers, in thirty-eight Chinese university archers 44.0 against 38.8 kilos, a medium effect. In a third sample, eleven boys per group, the archers outdo non-athletes in isokinetic knee strength but not in shoulder strength, which is exactly where an advantage would be expected. The most serious limit lies in the comparisons themselves: in the Malaysian sample the archers weighed 14 kilos more and carried more fat, and against basketball players the grip advantage disappears. The first piece of data, from 1984, found female university archers stronger than active peers and the male archers not. A cross-sectional comparison cannot say whether shooting makes people stronger or whether the young people who keep shooting were stronger to begin with.

Also phrased as: "does archery make you strong"; "strength of archers"; "archers versus sedentary people"; "archers' grip strength"

Evidence

• 1981
  Context Archers Published later

  6 Japanese university archers aged 20 to 21 with a training score of at least 320 out of 360 at 30 metres: grip of 49 kilos on the right and 46 on the left, back strength 141 kilos, shoulder-arm strength 44 kilos pushing and 42 pulling, at 171.7 centimetres and 59.8 kilos. These are reference values, with no comparison group at all.

  Physical Fitness and Energy Metabolism of the Archers (1) · Koji Tsuji, Hide Takeyama, Hideo Koishi, Yoshiho Katayama

• 1984
  For Archers Published later

  5 male and 5 female university archers from a sports science faculty, compared with national averages for students of the same age who do sport three or four times a week: in the women grip is clearly above the reference and back strength and vertical jump somewhat higher, at a body weight of 56.6 ± 3.6 kilos against 50.7 ± 5.3; in the men no advantage emerges. The comparison is with national references, not with a group measured in the same study.

  Physical Fitness and Energy Metabolism of the Archers (Part 2) · Koji Tsuji, Takatsune Tsumiyama, Yoshiho Katayama

• 2024
  For Archers Published later

  11 young male Malaysian archers against 11 non-athletes and 11 badminton players, isokinetic knee strength: at 180 degrees per second the archers have more power in flexion (96.51 ± 24.34 against 64.53 ± 22.13 W, p < 0.01) and in extension (171.66 ± 46.05 against 115.72 ± 35.41 W, p < 0.01) and a higher peak torque in extension (84.23 against 60.07 Nm); at 300 degrees per second more power in flexion (113.96 against 78.33 W, p < 0.05). At 60 degrees per second there is no difference.

  Body composition, bone health status and isokinetic muscular performance among Malaysian young male badminton players, archers and non-athletes · Rou Xian Goh, Foong Kiew Ooi, Chee Keong Chen, Tong King Ming Irene, Mohd Rahimi Che Jusoh, Rosniwati Ghafar, Jiun Sien Lau

• 2024
  Against Archers Published later

  In the same study, the shoulder: in isokinetic flexion and extension strength the archers do not differ from non-athletes at any speed, for instance 39.13 ± 12.93 against 44.44 ± 10.10 Nm in extension at 60 degrees per second (p = 0.507 across the three groups). The only significant shoulder difference belongs to the badminton players.

  Body composition, bone health status and isokinetic muscular performance among Malaysian young male badminton players, archers and non-athletes · Rou Xian Goh, Foong Kiew Ooi, Chee Keong Chen, Tong King Ming Irene, Mohd Rahimi Che Jusoh, Rosniwati Ghafar, Jiun Sien Lau

• 2025
  For Archers Published later

  20 young Malaysian state-level archers, mean age 14.7, against 20 sedentary peers: dominant-hand grip with a median of 35.00 kilos (interquartile range 7.75) against 25.00 (14.83), p = 0.006; non-dominant hand 29.00 (6.5) against 23.67 (10.42), p = 0.012.

  Comparison of Handgrip and Upper Body Strength between Sedentary Individuals and Archers · Jiun Sien Lau, Muhammad Mustaqim Jariah, Rosniwati Ghafar, Erie Zuraidee Zulkifli, Nur Syamsina Ahmad

• 2025
  For Archers Published later

  The same study, the upper body: seated throw of a 3-kilo medicine ball, median 3.18 metres (0.92) in the archers against 2.78 (0.84) in the sedentary group, p = 0.033.

  Comparison of Handgrip and Upper Body Strength between Sedentary Individuals and Archers · Jiun Sien Lau, Muhammad Mustaqim Jariah, Rosniwati Ghafar, Erie Zuraidee Zulkifli, Nur Syamsina Ahmad

• 2025
  Context Archers Published later

  The same study, the limit of the comparison: the archers weighed 63.1 ± 15.7 kilos against 48.7 ± 12.6 (p = 0.003), with a body mass index of 23.6 against 19.1 and 26.7 against 20.5 per cent body fat, at similar height. On top of that, the abstract reports figures that differ from the tables, for example 5.4 against 4.1 metres in the medicine ball throw.

  Comparison of Handgrip and Upper Body Strength between Sedentary Individuals and Archers · Jiun Sien Lau, Muhammad Mustaqim Jariah, Rosniwati Ghafar, Erie Zuraidee Zulkifli, Nur Syamsina Ahmad

• 2026
  For Archers Published later

  38 Chinese university archers against 38 basketball players and 38 sedentary peers of the same age: dominant-hand grip 43.98 ± 9.35 kilos in the archers, 46.98 ± 7.66 in the basketball players and 38.8 ± 9.38 in the sedentary group. The archers outdo the sedentary group (p = 0.015, d = 0.55) but not the basketball players (p = 0.106).

  Do archery athletes’ hand dexterity, strength, and cognition exceed those of age-matched athletes and non-athletes? A cross-sectional study · Xinpeng Gao, Fuxin Hong, Jinlong Hou, Yanan Gao, Qianqian Han, Ming Li

Status history

1. 1981 Not studied The first strength values measured on archers appear: six Japanese university students with a grip of around fifty kilos, back strength of 141 and shoulder-arm strength just over forty. There is no comparison group of any kind, though, so it is impossible to say whether they are stronger than people who play no sport.
2. 1984 Reported The first comparison arrives: female university archers have greater grip, back strength and vertical jump than female students of the same age who do sport three or four times a week, while in the men no advantage emerges. These are five men and five women, compared with national averages rather than a group measured in the same study, and the comparison is with active peers, not sedentary ones: reported, and only for the women.
3. 2024 Reported The first comparison with a group of non-athletes measured in the same study gives a split answer: in eleven young Malaysian archers isokinetic knee strength exceeds that of non-athletes at medium and high speeds, while at the shoulder there is no difference at any speed. The shoulder is exactly where an advantage would be expected, and this is the first result against; but with one study against and two in favour the status stays reported.
4. 2025 Reported Twenty young Malaysian state-level archers have a stronger grip in both hands than sedentary peers, a median of 35 against 25 kilos in the dominant hand, and throw a medicine ball further from a seated position. The comparison has an obvious flaw, though: the archers weighed 14 kilos more and carried more fat, and that alone could explain part of the grip difference. On top of that, the abstract and the tables report different figures. Another cross-sectional comparison in favour: reported.
5. 2026 Reported A larger sample confirms the direction and shows its limit: 38 Chinese university archers have a stronger grip than sedentary peers, 44.0 against 38.8 kilos with a medium effect, but not than basketball players, where the difference is not significant. Four cross-sectional comparisons in favour and one against do not take the claim beyond reported, because none of them says whether shooting makes people stronger or whether the stronger ones are those who stay.

Related

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Research lines

• 63 studiesThe archer's physical profile: strength, endurance and size
• 22 studiesThe archer's body: metabolism, energy cost and body weight since 1981

Other claims in this domain

• ReportedA battery of physical tests identifies the most promising young archers7 studies · 373 archers measuredStatus since 2018
• ReportedA few weeks of archery improves children's balance1 study · 32 archers measuredStatus since 2009
• ReportedA mobility and stretching programme improves an archer's flexibility1 study · 30 archers measuredStatus since 2025
• ReportedA spell of reduced training makes the score drop1 study · 9 archers measuredStatus since 2021
• ReportedA strength programme away from the range increases an archer's measured strength15 studies · 316 archers measuredStatus since 2018

See all claims on physical training