When developing a workout program to increase athletic performance, one must first determine the key factors that contribute to success in any given sport. In the sport of baseball, for example, running speed, bat speed, throwing velocity and quickness in the field are critical skills an athlete should possess in order to be successful. The majority of today’s baseball coaches agree that strength training is an important, if not the most important, tool in developing these athletic qualities.

What many athletes fail to understand is that there are considerable differences in training responses, all depending upon which methods of strength training are utilized. The adaptations to training by the body are direct results of the intensity, duration and frequency of the chosen methods. Muscles begin adaptation to be able to withstand the stress of exercise very quickly, and therefore, athletes and coaches should not engage in training programs before they know and understand the effects a certain program will have on their performance.
For example, when most young athletes set out to build strength for a particular sport, they generally focus on bodybuilding programs that emphasize muscle size over function. The effects these types of programs have on a young athlete’s body can actually reduce sports performance. To better understand how the wrong training methods can hinder performance, as well as which methods have been proven most successful, one must first understand the functional ability of muscles.

Muscle fibers are the contracting component of muscles and are broken down into two broad categories: slow twitch (ST) fibers and fast twitch (FT) fibers. Each of these fibers plays a different role in the body, and understanding these roles is critical when selecting the best training programs for baseball. ST muscle fibers are best suited to withstand long?duration, low?intensity exertion, such as distance running. These fibers contract slowly and are able to do so repeatedly for very long periods of time without fatigue. On the other hand, FT muscle fibers are designed to exert high amounts of force for very short periods of time and fatigue very quickly. FT muscle fibers are able to contract 10 times faster than ST muscle fibers, and therefore, these muscles are responsible for all explosive movements in sports (Anderson et al, 2000).

Every muscle in the human body is made up of a different proportion of ST and FT fibers. The makeup of specific muscles depends on the type of work that particular muscle is required to do. For example, postural muscles (like those found in the lower back), maintain body posture with frequent low intensity contractions, and therefore have a higher proportion of ST fibers, so as not to fatigue after one stands for a very short period of time. On the other hand, the muscles of the quadriceps (front of the leg), which are responsible for jumping and other explosive lower?body movements, are predominantly made up of FT fibers.

When an athlete is training for baseball, FT fibers are only used by the body after the force and speed generating capacity of the ST fibers has been exhausted. In other words, FT fibers are used as the body’s last resort in an attempt to move heavy weight or move the body at extremely high speeds. What is interesting is that the body can change the characteristics of FT fibers to behave like ST fibers, i.e. improve the muscles ability to perform low?intensity sustained activity. At the same time, this will reduce the muscle’s force?generating capacity.

This means that when a muscle that is naturally predominately made up of FT fibers, like the quadriceps, is subjected to strength training of moderate intensity and high volume, like that typically seen during bodybuilding training, the body reacts to this increased workload and begins to change the function of its existing FT fiber to act more like ST fibers. This switch can begin to happen after only a few training sessions.

Also, any distance running or other long duration cardiovascular training will have the same effect on muscle fibers. Maximal force and rate of force development will be reduced. In fact, studies show that with distance running, muscles of the lower body experience damage and inflammation for up to seven days after endurance training that can include cell death or necrosis. Research on heavy resistance training and sprinting show no lasting cell damage or inflammation post workout (Hikida et al, 2003).

Furthermore, with heavy resistance and explosive training, the size of FT fibers already present in a muscle is increased (Hakkinen, 1985). If FT fiber size is increased, a higher percentage of the muscle will be made up of FT fibers. Since force and rate of force development are dependent on the percentage of the muscle that is made up of FT fibers, this increase in FT fiber size will increase the maximal force the muscle can develop and also the rate at which maximal force can be developed (Anderson & Aagaard, 2000).

As stated before many people believe that any form of strength training and conditioning will positively affect performance on the baseball field. However, what many people consider to be appropriate training for a baseball player might actually be hindering the development of the athlete. Spending too much time developing superficial size of muscle, and training endurance will be detrimental to the athlete’s performance because of the microscopic changes that happen within the muscle fibers after these forms of training. Players looking to improve their athletic skill for baseball should look for strength and conditioning coaches that are able to develop programs to truly increase maximal force, rate of force development, and power endurance of the muscles that are specifically important to baseball. Simply strength training at your local gym and jogging on a treadmill without scientifically based guidance will not be enough to get the performance enhancement you are looking for.

Scott Edson -  Superior Athletic Advantage
Superior Athletic Advantage is an Athletic Development company located in Buffalo Grove, IL. Coaches Will Rawlings and Scott Edson worked for three years as Head baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches, and assistants to other sports, at the University of Northern Iowa, a Division I athletics program. They specialize in developing programs specifically for each individual athlete by coupling scientifically sound strength and conditioning principals, and experience working with athletes from youth, high school, NJCAA, and Division I. Website: www.superior-athletic.com Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 847-774-0379

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