Pitching biomechanics as a pitcher approaches muscular fatigue during a simulated baseball game

Abstract

Background: The effects of approaching muscular fatigue on pitching biomechanics are currently unknown. As a pitcher fatigues, pitching mechanics may change, leading to a decrease in performance and an increased risk of injury. Hypothesis: As a pitcher approaches muscular fatigue, select pitching biomechanical variables will be significantly different than they were before muscular fatigue. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Ten collegiate baseball pitchers threw 15 pitches per inning for 7 to 9 innings off an indoor throwing mound during a simulated baseball game. A pitching session ended when each pitcher felt he could no longer continue owing to a subjective perception of muscular fatigue. A 6-camera 3D automatic digitizing system collected 200-Hz video data. Twenty kinematic and 11 kinetic variables were calculated throughout 4 phases of the pitch. A repeated-measure analysis of variance (P