Baseball and Exercise Physiology, Research Paper Example

Exercise physiology is composed of numerous principles that are the foundation in the construction of training programs for athletes. When training an athlete, a specific physiological system that is applicable to that athlete should be taken into consideration. For instance, a training program must be specific to a system that will improve the abilities of the athlete. Baseball, for example, is a sport of many different motor abilities and skills. One simple play in baseball can be broken down to many different types of motor skills, abilities, open and closed loop, and cover something in every chapter of Motor Learning and Control by Richard A. Magill. Chapter 3 discusses the Franklin Henry’s specificity of motor abilities hypothesis. “This specificity view states that individuals have many motor abilities, and these abilities are relatively independent” (Magill 48) A great understanding of this concept can increase performance by specifying the training that is necessary. Baseball players rely on power and speed and therefore, their training include more of a speed/power interval training method. (Rhea 230)

Baseball players are not trained to build mass amounts of muscle. They focus more on being quick, having fast reaction times, increasing explosiveness, and increasing speed and trunk movements. All of these increase bat speed, ball velocity, running speed, and throwing speed. Running speeds is actually one of the most important factors in baseball. It is one of the five factors that professional scouts evaluate when scoping out talent (Coleman) in watching a baseball game, one can see that it is not a hugely aerobic game; it is more anaerobic in nature. Baseball players stand around a lot and then have to burst quickly to move to the ball or run to a base. In addition, while swinging a bat or throwing a ball, there is a rotational plane movement that is also fast and explosive. Since the need for baseball players is quick and explosive responses, baseball players use the phosphagen system as the primary source of energy. In fact, about 80% of a baseball player’s metabolic energy comes from the phosphagen system. (Slavik)

The phosphagen system uses two high energy phosphate compounds that are stored in the muscles and broken down. As it is broken down, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) releases energy that causes muscle fibers to contract. Since these high energy phosphate compounds are stored in muscle, once they are used, they need to be remade. The phosphagen system, is therefore, more important for anaerobic systems such as sprinting. Anaerobic activities are more intense and require that the supply of ATP be replenished in order for the activity, such as sprinting to be replenished. Intense activities can only be continued for a few seconds. For instance, a baseball player that runs the bases will reduce his speed the longer he runs. This is due to biochemical processes within the muscle cells involving another high-energy phosphate compound known as creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate has three times as much ATP in each muscle cell, and therefore, serves as an important energy reservoir. Once this energy reservoir is depleted, the concentration of ATP decreases as well as the power of the sprint. It is only through the next metabolic pathway that the sprinting can be sustained and completed. This system is the Lactic Acid system. (Brown 146)

Although baseball is a more anaerobic sport, the game can last several hours with multiple innings. In addition, the players may have to run the bases multiple times, go up to bat multiple times, run after balls multiple times, etc. Furthermore, there could be a double header in one day, making their day 18 innings, or about 6-8 hours of baseball. This type of activity therefore requires endurance as well. In order to meet the oxygen demands the muscles require for long activities, the pulmonary and cardiovascular system are affected. The pulmonary system delivers oxygen into the blood and the cardiovascular system brings blood to the working muscles. The muscles, however, must be able to absorb the oxygen and use the oxygen. This is therefore the purpose of endurance training in baseball. The endurance exercises increase the strength of the cardiac contractions and cardiac stroke volume, which results in an increase of blood to the working muscles. (Brown 147)

Exercise scientists or professionals that facilitate with training programs for baseball players have researched different methods in order to see which training program demonstrates the most effective outcome for baseball players. For instance, in a study conducted by Rhea, et al., sixteen Division I college baseball players were evaluated and dividing into two different types of training groups in order to investigate the compatibility of cardiovascular endurance and neuromuscular power training. Each group had their lower body power measured before and after their college playing season. One of the groups underwent moderate to high intense cardiovascular training 3-4 times per week throughout the entire baseball season. The other group underwent speed/speed endurance training. There was a significant difference between the groups indicated in the lower body power during the baseball season. The endurance group decreased in power (measured in watts), while the speed group increase in power. These results indicated that the cardiovascular and speed endurance training are not compatible, further implicating that baseball training should include both, but altered to include more of the speed training. (Rhea 230)

Overall, baseball players use the intense bursts of energy; however, their bodies still require the ability to endure long periods of exercise. Therefore, it is essential that trainers for baseball players incorporate the specific training in right amounts, with both cardiovascular and speed training. It is necessary that the physiological conditions are taken into consideration in order for the player to reach their maximum outputs of both aerobic and anaerobic states.

Works Cited

Brown, S. Chapter 8. Exercise Physiology. Retrieved on April 20, 2012 from: www.hper.txstate.edu/hper/faculty/pankey/1310/smch8.pdf

Coleman G. 52-week baseball training. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2000.

Magill, RA. Motor Learning and Control: Concepts and Applications. 8^th Ed. 2007. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Rhea, M., Oliverson, JR., Marshall, G., Peterson, MD., Kenn, JG., Ayillo FN. 2008.

Noncompatibility of Power and Endurance Training Among College Baseball Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 22(1):230–234.

Slavik, C. Training Differences of Baseball Players vs. Other Athletes. Retrieved on April 20, 2012 from: http://baseballtips.com/playertraining.html