The Physiological Responses to a Single Game of Baseball Pitching

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine selected physiological responses during a single game of baseball pitching. Six college-age men with varsity pitching experience at the collegiate level participated in the study. Subjects pitched a simulated game during which heart rate (HR), blood lactate (LA), serum glucose (SG), free fatty acid (FFA) and oxygen consumption (O₂) were measured. Serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were analyzed 24 hours after exercise as an indicator of skeletal muscle damage. HR exhibited a quadratic effect (p ≤ 0.01). There was no change from pre-exercise values for LA or SG. FFA did increase significantly throughout the game (p ≤ 0.01).O₂exhibited a quadratic effect during each inning (p ≤ 0.01). Values ranged from 4.9 ml·kg−¹·min−¹at rest to 20.6 ml·kg−¹min−¹ during pitching. CK and LDH were significantly elevated 24 hours after exercise. Results indicate that the physiological responses which occur during the pitching of a game correspond with an intensity equal to continuous exercise at 45 percent of O₂ max. The increase of muscle enzymes 24 hours after exercise may indicate muscle damage, and warrants further investigation.