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Published on: February 12, 2018
Functional fatigue and upper extremity sensorimotor system acuity in baseball athletes
Brady L Tripp1, Eric M Yochem, Timothy L Uhl
1Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. trippb@fiu.edu
Journal of Athletic Training
|June 29, 2007
Summary
Functional fatigue significantly impairs upper extremity joint acuity in overhead athletes, affecting multiple motions. This highlights the need for targeted endurance training in injury prevention and rehabilitation programs.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Motor Control
Background:
- The sensorimotor system is crucial for balancing upper extremity stability and mobility in athletes.
- Fatigue is known to impair sensorimotor function, but research on functional fatigue and multijoint measures is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of functional fatigue on the ability of overhead throwing athletes to reproduce upper extremity positions.
Main Methods:
- A university musculoskeletal laboratory conducted a single-session, repeated-measures study.
- Sixteen collegiate baseball players performed maximal velocity throws until reporting significant upper extremity exertion.
- Active multijoint position reproduction was measured, assessing acuity across 10 joint motions using 3D variable error.
Main Results:
- Functional fatigue decreased the acuity of the entire upper extremity and most individual joints in both tested positions (arm cock and ball release).
- Specific joint motion errors increased significantly due to fatigue, with notable exceptions like the wrist in the arm cock position.
- The study quantified fatigue-induced errors, ranging from 0.6 to 2.3 degrees, across various scapulothoracic, glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist movements.
Conclusions:
- Functional fatigue negatively impacts the positional acuity of the entire upper extremity and individual joints in overhead throwers.
- Clinicians must consider fatigue's detrimental effects in designing injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies.
- Incorporating multijoint and multiplanar endurance exercises is recommended, as compromised neuromuscular control may have pathological implications.
