OK, so how many of you pitchers and coaches are still doing a lot of long distance running, cycling, or related aerobic work?

     I'll define a "lot" as 3-4 or more sessions/week of the above activities lasting longer than 10 minutes/session, or of distances longer than 2 miles.

     If you say you're doing a "little" aerobic work for your cardiovascular health, well, read on. Some new research indicates you don't need to do this anymore.

     Readers of the material on my site know I have long been against this kind of training for ball players, pitchers included.

     Why?

     Because the key to properly conditioning for your sport - any sport - is the energy system utilized by that sport. Baseball/softball are sports of short burst, explosive activity, more closely related to strength and power training than distance running.

     Properly conditioning for your game will accomplish several objectives:

1) Reduce chance of injury.

2) Enhance on-field performance.

3) Minimize the waste of valuable time, so that time is spent on activities that will benefit the player and team.

     The activities that take place on a baseball/softball field employ the Phospho-Creatine (PC, or a-lactic anerobic) energy system. Activities such as long distance running and cycling utilize the aerobic energy system. While the PC system is used at the beginning of pretty much any type of physical activity, these are distinctly different energy systems.  

     How about two more good reasons to eliminate extensive aerobic training for ball players:

1) Much data strongly indicates that aerobic training in conjunction with strength and power training reduces the effectiveness of the strength/power training.

     Many coaches still think that a lot of running builds leg strength. It does not. For proof, compare the legs of marathon runners with those of sprinters. Not only are sprinter's legs more developed, they are stronger.

2) Aerobic training takes off weight from ball players who are trying to put it on, or who are trying to maintain healthy weight gain!

     I know of a junior college coach who has told several of his pitchers that they need to put on weight, then sends them out 4 days/week to run 5 miles.

     This an incredibly misinformed approach (stronger words come to mind). Any coach trying to do the best for his players has access to a plethora of information on the Internet and through numerous clinics held year-round. There is no excuse for this kind of ignorance - or, dare I say it - coaching malpractice!

     Question:

     Of the plays or activities that take place during a game, such as a groundball, flyball, rundown, etc., how many of them last for:

  20 minutes?

  30 minutes?

  40 minutes?

     If your answer is anything other than NONE, something's wrong!!

     So why are we training like this?

     For those of you who want data beyond simple logic and physiology, a study published in the Journal of Physiology* indicates that brief, intense exercise training induces metabolic and performance adaptations comparable to traditional endurance training.

     The study, performed at McMaster University in Canada, compared the performance of college age males who exercised on stationary bikes three times a week over a 14 day period.

     Group1 worked out at peak intensity for 30 seconds, followed by four minutes of slow pedaling for active recovery for a 20 minute workout session. Group 2 rode at a steady, moderate pace for 90 -120 minutes per session.

     Biopsy samples obtained before and after training revealed similar increases in an enzyme that indicates how efficiently muscles utilize oxygen. The researchers concluded that given the large difference in training volume (20 minutes vs. 1.5 - 2 hours), the data demonstrates that sprint-interval training is a time-efficient strategy that induces rapid adaptations in skeletal muscle and exercise performance that are comparable to endurance training in young, active men.

     So, coaches and players - if you haven't yet, it's time to update your thinking and workouts in a way that will actually be beneficial. Below is a chart you can use for SPEED Training by position.