Improved Muscle Activity Following Motor Training Without Vision of the Throwing Motion in Baseball Pitchers| Biomed Grid

Throwing motion without vision has the potential as a training method to improve proprioception by concentrating more on joint movements in throwing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to suggest a method of training motor sense, which can improve ball velocity and the pitchers' control (target accuracy). The study population consisted of 20 high school and college baseball players. Rotator cuff and elbow joint muscle activation, ball velocity, and ball accuracy in the stride, arm cocking, acceleration, and deceleration phases during throwing the ball with maximum effort (TBME) with or without vision were measured. Muscle activation during TBME was shown in the arm cocking and acceleration phases after visual blockage training. However, there were no significant differences in the surface-detected motor unit potential (SMUP), ball velocity, and accuracy when pitching with or without vision and after visual blockage training. Although the significance of this study was low, the SMUP and muscle activity tended to increase with acute practice, which is considered to be a meaningful result. We suggest that further studies should implement the training program for longer periods, wherein adaptation of the nervous system can be achieved through continuous practice