INTRODUCTION: The spike attack is the most commonly performed movement in volleyball. The analysis of various elements of this movement was therefore in the focus of previous studies. Seminati et al. (2015) and Giatsis et al. (2019) examined the use of various arm swing techniques during spike attacks. They focused on biomechanical aspects of the movement regarding performance and injury prevention. For a better understanding of the various techniques, it would be helpful to examine the activation of the muscles involved during the movement, which has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze the muscle activation patterns during spike attacks using different arm swing techniques. METHODS: The muscle activation from spike attacks using different arm swing techniques of seven professional male volleyball players were examined by means of electromyography (EMG). Based on the classification of Seminati et al. (2015), the players performed both the traditional and the alternative technique. The start of the movement was defined at the beginning of the cocking phase at 45° shoulder flexion and the end was defined at a shoulder flexion of 135° in the acceleration phase. The activation of the muscles was recorded using a Noraxon Ultium EMG system for the following muscles: M. pectoralis major, M deltoideus (pars clavicularis, acromialis and spinalis), M. infraspinatus, M. trapezius (upper and middle part), M. latissimus dorsi. To compare the EMG signals of the subjects, they were normalized based on the maximum voluntary contraction of the muscles. Differences in the muscle activation were examined using a paired t-test of an statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis. RESULTS: SPM analysis revealed different activation patterns for the M. deltoideus (pars clavicularis) and the M. infraspinatus. In the first part of the cocking phase (about 10% of the movement), EMG amplitude of the infraspinatus muscle was higher in the traditional technique compared to the alternative technique (p
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