A Descriptive Evaluation of Two Recovery Methods on Physiological and Performance Factors in NCAA Division II Baseball Pitchers

Introduction: Injury rates in all levels of baseball pitchers have increased over the last two decades, while the knowledge behind the mechanics of pitching has increased as well. In-game recovery techniques have often been overlooked as possible methods of maintaining pitching performance, reducing injury, and decreasing fatigue. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two recovery methods on pitching performance in male NCAA division II baseball pitchers. Methods: Five male subjects on the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania's pitching staff participated in 2 separate simulated bullpen sessions, where sessions were 7 days apart from one another. Recovery intervention consisting of Passive Recovery (PR) or Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) occurred after the first 15 pitches. Velocity, spin rate, and release height were measured by the Rapsodo 2.0 Pitch Tracker. Results: Descriptive statistics showed EMS better maintained mean velocity over 2 innings of pitching when compared to PR. The results demonstrated that a greater number of subjects and innings thrown would be necessary to show significance between recovery methods and pitching measurables. Conclusion: In conclusion, no definitive recovery method was shown to be favorable over another.