The effects of repetitive overhead throwing on shoulder rotator isokinetic work-fatigue

Muscle strength and endurance of the shoulder rotators is important for overhead throwing performance and dynamic glenohumeral stability. Baseball pitching is distinguished as an intermittent activity with explosive, high intensity muscle contractions separated by periods of rest. Rotator cuff muscle performance could acutely decrease due to fatigue associated with bouts of throwing.

This study examined the effects of repeated overhead throwing upon isokinetic muscle performance of the shoulder rotators.

Repeated-measures analyses of vari-ance were used to compare peak torque, total work, and work-fatigue by muscle group, time, and contraction type. Ten collegiate baseball pitchers underwent isokinetic testing of the internal (IR) and external shoulder (ER) rotators one week before and immediately after a throwing protocol of 60 maximal-effort pitches arranged into four innings of 15 pitches per inning. Isokinetic testing consisted of 12 concentric and eccentric repetitions at 300 deg/sec for internal and external rotation of the throwing extremity.

The main effect of time and the interaction of muscle group and contraction type were significant for work-fatigue. Post-hoc analysis revealed that subjects had significantly greater eccentric IR work-fatigue (13.3 + 1%) compared to the pre-test (7.3 + 2%).

Throwing-related fatigue affected both muscle groups, especially the IR, which has implications for dynamic glenohumeral stability. Rehabilitation and conditioning programs for competitive baseball pitchers should emphasize eccentric muscle endurance training of the shoulder rotators.