Muscle Activity Characteristics of the Pronator Teres during Throwing in Baseball Pitchers: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The pronator teres muscle is a major dynamic stabilizer of elbow valgus stress during throwing. This study aims to investigate pronator teres muscle activation during breaking ball pitching in baseball pitchers. Twelve male college baseball players with more than eight years of baseball experience were included in this study. A wireless surface electromyography (EMG) system was used to measure the activation of the forearm muscles and record EMG data during fastball and curveball pitching. Peak pronator teres muscle activation during curveball pitching was greater than that during fastball pitching (p = 0.03). There was no difference in the muscle activation of the other forearm muscles (p > 0.05). These results indicate that increased muscle activity in the pronator teres may contribute to stiffness and induce pronator teres syndrome or medial elbow injuries related to the overuse of the pronator teres, especially during curveball pitching. Controlling curveball throws contributes to player coaching and conditioning for the prevention of elbow joint disorders and pronator teres syndrome.