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Research Article: Acoustic myography of the biceps and triceps brachii muscles during retrieving drills in field trial dogs

Date Published: 2026-07-06

Abstract:
Field-trial dogs decelerate from speed, turn, and retrieve birds, potentially predisposing to biceps tendinopathy. Acoustic myography (AMG) measures muscle contraction. We hypothesized that braking/turning (turn) to retrieve birds produces more biceps and triceps work vs. gallop to the bird (out-run), or back with the bird (return) and that work in these muscles would be asymmetric between limbs at turn. Fourteen conditioned, orthopedically sound retrievers were fitted with wired sensors adhered bilaterally to triceps and biceps, connected to a harness holding AMG equipment. Dogs performed three 91.44 m retrieves with 2 s AMG recordings sampled mid out-run and return, and 1 s during turn; speed was calculated for each section. Data analysis: Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality and either Student's t -test (AMG data inside vs. outside leg at turn) or one-way mixed effects model with Geisser-Greenhouse correction or ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons post-hoc test (other AMG parameters, dog speed). Significance was p < 0.05. Speed was faster at out-run vs. return. Biceps at out-run had greater amplitude vs. return and frequency vs. turn. Biceps at turn had greater amplitude than return. Triceps at both out-run and turn had greater amplitude vs. return. Contraction frequency was greater for biceps at out-run vs. turn and for triceps at turn vs. out-run. Carrying a bird is not a risk factor for biceps tendinopathy in field trial dogs; excess tensile load on the biceps from triceps action at turn, and high muscle work in the biceps at out-run are likely risk factors.

Introduction:
Field-trial dogs decelerate from speed, turn, and retrieve birds, potentially predisposing to biceps tendinopathy. Acoustic myography (AMG) measures muscle contraction. We hypothesized that braking/turning (turn) to retrieve birds produces more biceps and triceps work vs. gallop to the bird (out-run), or back with the bird (return) and that work in these muscles would be asymmetric between limbs at turn.

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