421 FO62 – Development of a protocol to evaluate baseball pitcher’s workload and prevention of injury

BackgroundPitch counts are only one measure of the true workload in baseball pitchers. Newer research indicates total workload and prevention of injury must include additional factors. Thus, current workload monitoring systems may be considered inadequate.ObjectiveDevelop a novel method to determine...

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Published in:British journal of sports medicine 2024-03, Vol.58 (Suppl 2), p.A35-A36
Main Authors: Zaremski, Jason, Pazik, Marissa, Vasilopoulos, Terrie, Horodyski, Marybeth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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High school baseball
Injury prevention
Sports injuries
Velocity
Workloads
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Summary:BackgroundPitch counts are only one measure of the true workload in baseball pitchers. Newer research indicates total workload and prevention of injury must include additional factors. Thus, current workload monitoring systems may be considered inadequate.ObjectiveDevelop a novel method to determine baseball pitchers’ workload to provide an implementable process for prevention of throwing related injuries.DesignProspective observational studySettingAcademic medical centerParticipantsPitchers aged 13–18 during the 2019 to 2023 seasonsAssessment of Risk FactorsPitching related injuries, workload, pitching velocity, intensity, and pitch countsMain Outcome MeasuresWorkload, calculated by multiplying volume of total gameday pitches by intensity, was the primary measure. Intensity was determined by maximum pre-season velocity compared to game velocity of pitches thrown. Velocity was measured during a preseason practice and the first 10 pitches of each inning. Total gameday pitches included bullpen, warm-up, and game pitches. ResultsThere were 313 pitcher outings, 11 pitching related injuries and 24,228 pitches thrown. Gameday pitch counts ranged from 19 to 219 (mean 77.5; SD 41.0). Velocity ranged from 75.3 to 137.9 km/hour (mean 114.8 ± 9.3 km/hour). Intensity ranged from 0.7 to 1.3 (mean 1.0 ± 0.08). The mean workload for all pitchers was 74.7 ± 40.1. Risk factors significant for injury included: throwing at a higher velocity in game (p=0.001), increased intensity (e.g. an increase in average velocity thrown from preseason to in-season; p
ISSN:0306-3674
1473-0480
DOI:10.1136/bjsports-2024-IOC.62