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Lower extremity muscle activation during baseball pitching.

Brian M Campbell1, David F Stodden, Megan K Nixon

  • 1Biomechanics/Motor Behavior Laboratory School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA. campbeb@bgsu.edu

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
|March 20, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Baseball pitchers experience high muscle activation in their lower extremities during the pitching motion, particularly in the trail and stride legs. This highlights the need for strength and endurance training to support dynamic stabilization.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • The pitching motion in baseball is a complex, high-velocity movement.
  • Understanding lower extremity muscle activation is crucial for injury prevention and performance enhancement in baseball pitchers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the muscle activation levels of key lower extremity muscles during the baseball pitching motion.
  • To compare muscle activation during different phases of pitching with maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) data.

Main Methods:

  • Bilateral surface electromyography (EMG) was used to collect data on 5 lower extremity muscles in 11 skilled baseball pitchers.
  • The pitching motion was divided into four distinct phases: initiation to maximum stride leg knee height, maximum stride leg knee height to stride foot contact (SFC), SFC to ball release, and ball release to 0.5 seconds post-release (follow-through).
  • Collected EMG data were compared against individual MVIC data.

Main Results:

  • Trail leg muscles showed moderate to high activation (38-172% of MVIC) during phases 2 (stride leg knee height to SFC) and 3 (SFC to ball release).
  • Stride leg muscles exhibited moderate to high activation (23-170% of MVIC) during phases 2, 3, and 4 (follow-through).
  • These findings indicate significant strength and endurance demands on the lower extremities during pitching.

Conclusions:

  • The pitching motion places substantial demands on lower extremity strength and endurance.
  • Coaches should implement unilateral and bilateral exercises to enhance lower extremity strength and endurance.
  • Training should focus on improving dynamic stabilization of the lower extremities throughout the pitching motion.