title: The abductor and adductor strength characteristics of professional baseball pitcherse.
abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to establish a data base regarding the isokinetic muscular performance characteristics of the abductor and adductor muscles of professional baseball pitchers. Eighty-three healthy professional baseball pitchers (mean age, 22.6 years; mean weight, 199 pounds) were evaluated by use of a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer. Isokinetic tests were performed concentrically at 180 and 300 deg/sec for both the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders. The testing protocol and test repetitions were standardized for each subject. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired t-test. Determination of the correlation coefficient was made at the P < 0.05 level of significance. Test results for bilateral comparisons of mean peak torque for the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders demonstrated a significant difference in adductor values between the dominant and nondominant shoulders at both test speeds. There were no significant differences between extremities for the shoulder abductor muscles. The abductor-to-adductor muscle ratios between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders were also statistically significant at both test speeds. Throwing arm values were 82.5% at 180 deg/sec and 93.8% at 300 deg/sec compared with only 66.0% and 70.3%, respectively, for the nonthrowing shoulders.
authors.affiliation: HEALTHSOUTH Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Arrigo
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001484:Baseball / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012782:Shoulder / Q000502:physiology*