Lower trunk muscle activity-induced alignment and cop position during single-leg standing.
Tetsuya Nakao, Kenichi Masuda, Shigeyuki Kanai and 3 others
PMID 28626324WHAT IT FOUND
Contracting lower trunk muscles by exhaling and pulling in the abdomen allowed participants to lift their leg higher and step further forward than other contraction types.
This specific alignment may help reduce cross-stepping in throwing motions, though this was tested in healthy adults, not pitchers.
Key findings
01Straight leg raise angle was largest during Abdominal Cave-in (69.6°) compared to Abdominal Bracing (61.6°) and Abdominal Expansion (58.4°).
02Cross step distance was greatest during Abdominal Expansion (12.5 cm) and Abdominal Bracing (7.3 cm), and negative during Abdominal Cave-in (-8.1 cm).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 10 healthy males with no history of injury or pitching experience, so results may not apply to athletes with pathology or actual pitchers. The measurements were taken during static single-leg standing tasks, not during the dynamic, high-speed motion of an actual pitch. The study measured biomechanical proxies (alignment, step distance) rather than clinical outcomes like pain, injury rate, or throwing velocity. The authors note that the relationship between these specific trunk contractions and the late-cocking phase of pitching is still hypothetical and requires further study.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that applying Abdominal Cave-in breathing during a single-leg balance drill will directly fix cross-stepping in a pitcher's wind-up. The study measured static alignment in healthy adults, not dynamic pitching mechanics, and the authors state the link to actual pitching performance is still being investigated.