The Effect of Post Activation Potentiation on Baseball Pitching Velocity

Abstract

Post activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon by which muscular performance may be enhanced as a result of the acute contractile history. Purportedly, heavy loading of a muscle prior to explosive activity enhances central nervous system (CNS) stimulation and thus greater motor unit recruitment, which may last five to thirty minutes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of PAP on baseball pitching velocity. METHODS: 15 male collegiate baseball pitchers (age 21.1± 2.5 yrs, ht. 186.7 ± 5.8 cm, body mass 90.6 ± 9.1 kg) participated in familiarization trials (1 repetition max [1RM]) clean pull prior to random assignment in a control condition (C) with no PAP intervention, PAP w 3 countermovement jumps (CMJ) and PAP Olympic Clean Pulls (OCP) of 3 reps at 85% 1RM. Four warm-up (WU) sets were performed prior to the OCP trial at 30%, 50%, 60% and 75% 1RM loading. Prior to all pitching, a dynamic WU was followed by 20 WU pitches at ~50% max velocity. The PAP intervention was completed by the subject following completion of the WU. After the WU each subject threw 5 maximal velocity (Vmax) pitches, to determine a baseline velocity. After each condition (C, CMJ, and OCP), each subject rested for 8 minutes followed by repeating the 5 throws at Vmax. A stopwatch was used to measure the 60 sec interval between each throw, while ball velocity was measured by the Stalker Sports Radar Gun. RESULTS: Statistical analysis by paired t-test revealed no significant differences among pitching velocity at Vmax (km/hr) in Pre & Post trials (C: 131.8 ± 5.2 & 131.8 ± 6.0, CMJ: 132.0 ± 5.6 &132.6 ± 5.8, and OCP 132.5 ± 5.0 & 133.1 ± 5.8), respectively. Analysis by one way ANOVA revealed no significant differences between the 3 conditions post intervention (p>.05). However, there was a statistically significant difference between the C and the OCP groups. CONCLUSION: The theory that the PAP stimulus will excite the neural system, increase motor unit recruitment and result in increased muscle force to increase throwing velocity was not supported. A difference of 1.09 kmh (p<.05) between C and OCP trials, may have an impact on pitching performance which can only be evaluated under competitive conditions.