Research regarding different-style warm-ups (upper body, lower body, and weighted bat) and how they elicit muscle activity that produces a faster baseball bat velocity.

1. Manipulation of Postactivation Potentiation vs.
the Use of a Weighted Bat
Matt Salacienski
Austen Hutton
David Kimmich

2. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to whether or not the
idea of postactivation potentiation can be utilized
by collegiate baseball players prior to batting to
increase their swing velocity.

3. Background
 It takes less than half a second for a 90
mph fastball to reach the home plate.
 A faster swing = Competitive advantage for
the hitter
 Traditionally, hitters tend to use weighted
“donuts”, or multiple bats to achieve this

4. Background
 Montoya et al. conducted a study in which
warming up with a weighted bat was shown
to actually decrease swing velocity

5. “Kinetic Link Theory”
 This refers to the transfer of momentum
beginning in the lower body, up through
hips and torso, and ending with the upper
body.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtniXJ
k-mhE&feature=related

6. Postactivation Potentiation (PAP)
 This suggests that maximal contraction of
certain muscles prior to performing an
explosive action can enhance overall power
output during that action
 Two theories exist as to why this occurs:
 Increased phosphorylation of myosin light
chains
 Excitation of the Hoffman Reflex (H-Reflex)

7. Complex Training
 Training protocol most commonly used in
manipulating PAP
 Combines heavy resistance exercises with
plyometric exercises
 Targets same muscle group to help transfer
strength gains into power
 Enhances nervous system involvement

8. Complex Training
 Farup and Sorenson (2010)
 1-RM bench press followed by a bench throw
 Hrysmallis and Kidgell (2001)
 5-RM bench press followed by explosive
push-ups

9. Effect of Training Status
 Chiu et al. (2003)
 Heavy load squats followed by jump squats
 Found that athletically-trained individuals are
more apt to elicit PAP than are recreationally-
active individuals
 More resistant to fatigue

10. Methods
 Interest: Effect of heavy resistance
training prior to swing
 10 DIII Collegiate Baseball Players
 Similar weight and stature (levers)
 Only those who make plate appearances
 This study will have been approved by the
Institutional Review Board
 All subjects have read and signed an
informed consent

11. Methods Cont.
 Acute Study
 No training program implemented
 Focus on muscle activation
 Pre-Test
 1RM for bench and squat
 Needed for 1RM % during exercises

12. Methods Cont.
 3 days of testing
 Begin with dynamic warm-up (10 mins)
 First 2 Days: Complex Training
 Day 1: Bench paired with medicine ball
power drops
 3 sets of 3 reps at 80-90% 1RM (2 min rest)
 After 3rd set, 1 min rest before power drops
 3 min rest before taking 5 swings with
normal weighted bat

13. Methods Cont.
 Complex Training Cont.
 Day 2: Squat paired with depth jumps
 Load, volume, # of sets same as day 1
 Depth Jumps: 36 inch box
 Same rest periods
 Day 3: Weighted Bat
 5-8 swings with weighted bat/donut
 Followed by velocity test

14. Technology

15. Technology
 Detects X and Y velocity to give slope
 Pick point on bat
 Lower mph: v = rω
 Higher radius = higher speed
 Lower radius = lower speed

16. Statistics
 Independent Variable
 Mode of exercise/warm-up
○ Upper Body
○ Lower Body
○ Weighted Bat
 Dependent Variable
 Bat Swing Velocity
○ Comparing speed of swing after
implementing 3 modes of warm-up

17. Statistical Analyses
 Test
 One-way ANOVA
○ 1 group
○ 3 means being compared
○ Shows difference between velocity means
 Tukey Post-Hoc
○ Shows where difference is located
 P-Value ≤ 0.05

18. Expected Results
 May see a loss in velocity after weighted
bat warm-up
 Any increase in velocity: lower body
exercises
 Baseball focuses on lower body strength
(anaerobic)

19. Data Collection
Subject 1 Subject Subject Subject Subject
2 3 4 5
Base 24.5 47.9 31.0 24.3 24.5
Weighted 25.2 36.7 33.6 32.9 24.9
Bat
Lower- 35.2 67.7 31.5 58.5 36.4
Body
Upper- 30.8 40.7 34.3 55.1 31.7
Body

20. Data Collection

21. Data Collection
 Significant at the 0.05 alpha level
 Unfortunately, data collection produced
error
 Hand motion
 Height
 Level swing
 Point analysis
 N value was very low

22. Data Collection
 huttonal@mountunion.edu
 salacimj@mountunion.edu
 kimmicdw@mountunion.edu
Thank you Dr. Mendel and
Dr. Ekey