Why Do Pichter's Have to Run?

One of the biggest mistakes I see some of my young pitcher's make is skipping their post game or next day runs. Too many times I've heard the excuses..."But you don't really run in baseball." or "I don't run the ball to the plate, why should I work on running." Or my personal favorite, "My coach doesn't make us run, so I don't."

So here's the deal....Running is essential to becoming a better pitcher and here are three reasons why.

Firstly, legs are the foundation of a good pitching delivery. Weak legs cannot possibly repeat a pitching delivery with any kind of consistency. Therefore, running, especially sprints are essential to building explosive leg strength. Your feet, and therefore, your legs are the only part of the body that actually touch the ground. It is essential that they are as strong as possible

Secondly, running increases the overall endurance of a pitcher. This comes from quality, consistent long distance running. Think of it in terms of innings pitched. The first 10 minutes are like the first 3 innings, the next 10 minutes would be the 4th through the 6th, and the final 10 minutes represent the most important and most difficult innings in which to be sharp and effective on the mound. You that as motivation to be the pitcher who always finishes what he starts. Poor cardiovascular health will contribute to a pitcher breaking down earlier than his arm would otherwise last.

And finally and most importantly, running is essential to preventing arm injury and recovering from outings quickly and more efficiently. So here's the science behind it all. When you throw, you project your arm, shoulder, and elbow away from your body and thousands of tiny muscle fibers grip those body parts and immediately slow your arm down right after the baseball is released. When this happens repeatedly, as with pitching a game, tiny muscle fiber tears build up in the arm. To combat this, the body produces what is called "lactic acid." Recent research actually indicates that lactic acid is used by the body and burned as energy. Regardless, over time the muscles become sore. This soreness carries over and is generally worse over the following 1 to 3 days. To combat this soreness, it is essential for a pitcher to "flush" his system by getting the heart rate elevated from atleast 15 to 20 minutes. The elevated heart rate from running distance is perfect for getting more oxygen rich blood through the entire body. (In this case, any kind of cardio would suffice...swimming, biking, elliptical machine, row machine).

So, to get the best of all three running benefits, the "Intelligent Pitcher" must utilize both sprints, interval running, and distance work. I will be putting out an E-Book in the next few months to describe the perfect workout routine.

Stay tuned for more info on everything pitching...