Effect of Repetitive Pitching on the Control of Lower Extremity Joints and Center of Mass in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers

• Published in: Sports health Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 783 - 791
• Main Authors: Wang, Shiu-Min, Huang, Tsun-Shun, Chen, Szu-Hua, Wu, Yuh-Renn, Hsu, Wei-Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Baseball - injuries; Baseball - physiology; Biomechanical Phenomena; Hip Joint - physiology; Humans; Knee Joint - physiology; Lower Extremity - physiology; Male; Range of Motion, Articular; Time and Motion Studies; Young Adult; baseball pitching; repetitive pitching; joint angles; center of mass
• DOI: 10.1177/19417381241273264
• ISSN: 1941-7381; 1941-0921

Background: Repetitive motion can alter joint angles and subsequently affect the control of the center of mass (CoM). While the CoM has been studied as a fatigue indicator in various sports, the control of the whole-body CoM during repetitive pitching in baseball pitchers has not been examined. This study aimed to investigate changes in lower-extremity joint angles and CoM control in collegiate baseball pitchers after repetitive pitching. Hypothesis: Baseball pitchers would exhibit significant increase in lower-extremity flexion angles, CoM position, and CoM variability after repetitive pitching. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A total of 23 pitchers from the Collegiate Baseball League were recruited. A motion analysis system was employed to assess lower-extremity joint angles and CoM position during the simulated game, while pitching accuracy and velocity were also recorded. Results: The results revealed a significant forward and downward shift in CoM position (P < 0.05), along with increased CoM variability in all directions (P < 0.05) after the simulated game. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in flexion angles of the knee and hip (P < 0.05); however, pitching velocity and accuracy did not demonstrate significant changes. Conclusion: Repetitive pitching leads to kinematic changes that should be monitored to prevent sports injuries. Clinical Relevance: Baseball pitchers have the ability to modify the control of their CoM and angles of their lower-extremity joints to sustain their pitching performance. It is crucial to monitor compensatory strategies closely to avoid shoulder and elbow injuries among these pitchers.