Bishop Stacy H, Herron Robert L, Ryan Gregory A, Katica Charles P, Bishop Phillip A
1Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas; and 2Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Apr;30(4):1027-32. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000256.
The throwing arm of a baseball pitcher is subjected to high stress as a result of the repetitive activity of pitching. Intermittent cryotherapy may facilitate recovery from this repeated high stress, but few researchers have investigated cryotherapy's efficacy in an ecologically valid setting. This study investigated the effects of intermittent cryotherapy on pitching velocity and subjective measures of recovery and exertion in a simulated baseball game. Trained college-aged male baseball pitchers (n = 8) threw 12 pitches (1 pitch every 20 seconds) per inning for 5 total innings during a simulated pitching start. Between each inning, pitchers received shoulder and arm cooling (AC) or, on a separate occasion, no cooling (NC). All sessions took place in a temperate environment (18.3 ± 2.8° C; 49 ± 4% relative humidity). Pitch speeds were averaged for each participant each inning and overall for 5 innings. Perceived exertion (rating of perceived exertion [RPE]) was recorded at the end of each simulated inning. Perceived recovery (perceived recovery scale [PRS]) was recorded after treatment between each inning. Mean pitching velocity for all-innings combined was higher (p = 0.04) for shoulder and elbow cooling (AC) (31.2 ± 2.1 m·s) than for no cooling (NC) (30.6 ± 2.1 m·s). Average pitch speed was significantly higher in the fourth (p = <0.01) and fifth (p = 0.02) innings in AC trial (31.3 ± 2 m·s for both innings) compared with NC trial (30.0 ± 2.22 m·s and 30.4 ± 1.99 m·s, for the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. AC resulted in a significantly lower RPE (p ≤ 0.01) and improved PRS (p ≤ 0.01) compared with NC. Intermittent cryotherapy attenuated velocity loss in baseball pitching, decreased RPE, and facilitated subjective recovery during a 5-inning simulated game.
棒球投手的投掷手臂由于投球的重复动作而承受高应力。间歇性冷冻疗法可能有助于从这种反复的高应力中恢复，但很少有研究人员在生态有效环境中研究冷冻疗法的疗效。本研究调查了间歇性冷冻疗法对模拟棒球比赛中投球速度以及恢复和疲劳主观指标的影响。训练有素的大学年龄男性棒球投手（n = 8）在模拟投球开始时，每局投12球（每20秒投1球），共投5局。每局之间，投手接受肩部和手臂冷却（AC），或者在另一次试验中不接受冷却（NC）。所有试验均在温带环境（18.3±2.8°C；相对湿度49±4%）中进行。记录每个参与者每局以及5局的平均投球速度。在每个模拟局结束时记录主观疲劳感（主观用力程度评分[RPE]）。在每局之间的治疗后记录主观恢复感（主观恢复量表[PRS]）。肩部和肘部冷却（AC）组所有局的平均投球速度（31.2±2.1米/秒）高于未冷却（NC）组（30.6±2.1米/秒）（p = 0.04）。与NC试验相比，AC试验的第四局（p = <0.01）和第五局（p = 0.02）平均投球速度显著更高（两局均为31.3±2米/秒），NC试验第四局和第五局分别为30.0±2.22米/秒和30.4±1.99米/秒。与NC相比,AC导致RPE显著降低（p≤0.01），PRS得到改善（p≤0.01）。在5局模拟比赛中，间歇性冷冻疗法减轻了棒球投球时的速度损失，降低了RPE，并促进了主观恢复。
