I wanted to keep building on the thread of studies by Freisen and colleagues with respect to body composition. Next up is Friesen et al. (2022) Softball Pitching Propulsion and Performance Differences According to Body Fat Percentage. This research used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans to determine body fat percentage, and classify pitchers into high body fat (>32%) and healthy body fat (<32%) pitchers. Thirty-two high school pitchers participated in the study. They found:
- Healthy body fat pitchers had greater normalized medial GRF than high body fat pitchers.
- Body mass index (BMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) were both positively correlated with pitch velocity.
- Fat mass index (FMI) and body fat percentage were both negatively correlated with velocity.
Implications: I know that the research found group differences with medial GRF but medial GRF is negligible, meaning that peak values tend to be low and there is no association with performance. Therefore, that finding doesn’t really help coaches. What does help is that being larger (BMI) and having more muscle mass (FFMI) is positively correlated with pitch velocity while having more fat mass (BF% and FMI) is detrimental to pitch velocity. These findings suggest an EXTRAORDINARY IMPORTANCE for strength training for pitchers. It is imperative that pitchers strength train and build muscle to perform better and stay healthy. Two things: if you can’t find time to lift, make time. Softball has created a culture of playing too much with the hopes of getting recruited. Take the time, especially early (middle school) to train for strength. Also, find a good strength coach that understands progression, rotational athletes (not those who specialize in football and basketball) and who can teach technique. Lifting in 7th grade doesn’t mean max out (I would argue that the 1 RM is worthless in softball), but it does mean learning good technique and increasing weight as strength increases.
People to Follow
Along this same thread, I have discovered a new podcast with Dr. Andy Galpin called Perform. Dr. Galpin is the G.O.A.T. of exercise physiology and is an expert in the interaction between food and performance in sports. His stuff is incredible but also super nerdy. Stick with his episodes because he will explain himself. Check him out.
