[thedoc (OP)]

Ed Wilson  asked the Naked Scientists:
   Working on from your piece on fiddler crabs, what asymmetries are observable in humans who engage in extreme activities such as sport?  A tennis player appears to use one arm far more than the other.  A golfer repeats actions with the two arms doing predictably different jobs.  Do muscles on the two sides develop differently?

Ed Wilson


 
What do you think?

[Bored chemist]

This suggests that it makes a difference.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2659359/One-sided-Popeye-one-supersized-arm-one-normal-size-arm-proves-perfect-job-arm-wrestler.html

[Monox D. I-Fly]

If I want to punch a wall to lash out my anger, should I use my dominant hand to make it stronger or my non-dominant hand to minimize injury?

[Colin2B]

If I want to punch a wall to lash out my anger, should I use my dominant hand to make it stronger or my non-dominant hand to minimize injury?

The usual technique is to use your head, then nothing gets hurt.

[Hayseed]

Yes it can.  But one doesn't see it much now days, because of automation.

Do you remember Popeye's arms?  Those kind of arms come from hand milking.

Hand milk 12 cows every morning and evening for 1 year.    Instant(1 year) Popeye.

Back in the older days, one could always recognize a milker.

The only thing the cartoon has wrong, is the puny upper arms.  They form just like the forearms.

Huge.  My father, grandfather and uncles had huge arms.  Wrists like thighs. Today.....a layman would call them muscle builder arms.

[evan_au]

Do you remember Popeye's arms?  Those kind of arms come from hand milking.

My uncle's farm used both hands (until they got an automatic milking machine).

[Monox D. I-Fly]

Yes it can.  But one doesn't see it much now days, because of automation.

Do you remember Popeye's arms?  Those kind of arms come from hand milking.

Hand milk 12 cows every morning and evening for 1 year.    Instant(1 year) Popeye.

Does it have to be cows or other cattle? Can I do it with my wife?

[Petrochemicals]

The tour de france was a very good example of this.

https://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/chris-froome-naked-sporting-body-interview/

[Bored chemist]

Do you remember Popeye's arms?  Those kind of arms come from hand milking.

They came from a cartoonist's imagination.

[evan_au]

Looking at the Olympics athletes, you see a very different physique between top competitors in (say) weightlifting and bouldering.
- Other contrasting sports are available...

[Petrochemicals]

As for lopsidedness,

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3408405/amp/The-secret-effect-professional-tennis-photos-Serbian-star-Viktor-Troicki-s-massive-right-arm-viral-discover-s-not-tennis-star-playing-arm-bigger-other.html