Lumbopelvic Stabilization Improves Pitching Performance

This post is for anybody who suffers from low back pain, but it should interest anybody that plays and/or loves sports, particularly baseball.  A recent study showed that lumbopelvic control in baseball pitchers improved pitching accuracy and endurance.

The study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, looked at minor league pitchers.  Seventy-five healthy professional baseball pitchers performed a standing lumbopelvic control test during the last week of spring training for the 2008 and 2009 seasons while wearing a custom-designed testing apparatus called the “Level Belt.”  With the Level Belt secured to the waist, subjects attempted to transition from a 2-leg to a single-leg pitching stance and balance while maintaining a stable pelvic position. Subjects were graded on the maximum sagittal pelvic tilt from a neutral position during the motion.

Pitching performance, number of innings pitched (IP), and injuries were compared for all subjects who pitched at least 50 innings during a season.  The belt measurement was taken for each pitcher during the leg transition exercise, with the 7° being the median measurement.  The researchers then assessed the performance of the players over the two seasons.  They found that players with measurements <7° (or the most stable low back and pelvis during motion) had the significantly fewer walks plus hits per inning than subjects scoring ≥7°.  There was no significant difference in injuries between the two groups. 

Here's the take home: Lumbopelvic stabilization--something I work on with all my Los Angeles sports chiropractic patients, particularly those with low back pain, hip pain or any other leg or knee injury--improves athletic performance.  And although this study did not see a correlation between good lumbopelvic stabilization and injury prevention, I can tell you that I see it reduce chronic pain an disability in both athletes and non-athletes alike.

Functional lumbopelvic stabilization comes from a combination of strength, flexibility and balance--three area which I emphasize in my sports rehabilitation practice.  Tight hip flexors, weak glutes and a loss of lumbopelvic control from the abdominals (see abdominal hollows and pelvic tilting) all contribute to loss of stabilization of this vital core area.

True, researchers found no correlation to prevention of injury in the pitchers, as both groups in the study suffered injuries.  But this just shows that sports injuries are multifactorial.  What is unquestionable is that pitching performance did improve with lumbopelvic stabilization, and that I would expect, as I know how important it is in musculoskeletal biomechanics.  I hope you found this study as interesting as I did.

Abdominal Breathing Boosts Performance

Hey, catch wind of this: Breathing exercises may improve athletic performance. That's right, working out the muscles involved in respiration can boost energy and endurance. Here's how:

Scientists looked at 27 college soccer players and found that five weeks of respiratory workouts improved the athletes "intermittent" exercise performance, or the short bursts of effort needed for quick plays in sports like soccer, baseball, and football. The workouts utilized an instrument called a respiratory muscle trainer, which required the athletes to breathe through a valve, forcing the respiratory muscles to work harder. The study was published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

The study consisted of splitting the players into two groups, the first using the respiratory muscle trainer 10 times a week for five weeks, while the other just resumed their regular workouts. At the end of the study period, many of the athletes in the respiratory training group showed gains in their ability to perform short bursts of exercise.

The clients in my West Hollywood and Beverly Hills chiropractic practice know how much weight I put on breathing--it's of mega-importance. That's why I give most of my clients exercises to strengthen and control their diaphragm, the dome shaped muscle responsible for the breathing function. Abdominal breathing retrains the diaphragm to contract fully, removing the burden on the accessory muscles of respiration in the neck and upper back. Not only is oxygen intake increased through diaphragmatic breathing, which increases endurance and energy, but tension in the neck and shoulders is often decreased by utilizing this powerful muscle.

Great news for athletes and non-athletes alike. Whether you shoot hoops or hike the canyons, a strong breath will power your performance. You'll play longer, recover faster, and live healthier with a robust breathing apparatus.