Effects of paddle handle design on muscle activity, subjective discomfort, and performance during simulated dragon boat paddling.

During prolonged and repetitive paddling in dragon boat training, inappropriate paddle-handle design may influence upper-limb muscle activity and subjective user experience. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of four commercially available dragon boat paddle handles on upper-limb muscle activity, subjective perception, and paddling task performance under controlled ergometer conditions. Twenty trained dragon boat athletes performed standardized paddling tasks while upper-limb surface electromyography was synchronously recorded. Subjective comfort ratings, palmar pain assessments, and task performance metrics were also collected. The results revealed statistically significant differences among paddle handles in upper-limb muscle activity levels and palmar pain distribution. In particular, paddle handles characterized by larger transverse contact dimensions and greater geometric continuity demonstrated advantages in reducing upper-limb muscle activity and alleviating localized discomfort. These findings support a multidimensional evaluation approach that integrates physiological and perceptual measures and provide experimental evidence to inform the ergonomic optimization of dragon boat paddle handles and other handheld tools.