Even though Texas in April is hardly Arctic, the dips below freezing are enough to put a hold on baseball play and training during winter months. That’s a good thing, as it turns out. Players who reside in warmer climes tend to train year-round — without giving their arms a rest-and-recovery period — which raises their risk of injuries.
However, after winter break is over and you’ve given your throwing arm some needed time off, you or your young athlete may still be faced with bitter winds and bone-numbing chills. How can you keep your muscles warm and limber when every instinct tells them to tighten up to retain their heat?
Sports specialist David Lintner, MD, wants you or your young athlete to stay strong and limber, even in the chilly days of spring training for baseball. Recently, he shared with our Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine staff and patients in Houston, Texas:
“Early season baseball can be cold, even in southern states,” said Dr. Lintner. “My friend Dr. Gene Coleman – who’s spent more than four decades as a head strength and conditioning coach for the Houston Astros and as a strength and conditioning consultant for the Rangers – sent me this useful information to help you succeed and stay healthy.”
Dr. Coleman co-wrote his article with Keith Dugger, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer for the Colorado Rockies, who has over 30 years of experience in MLB.
Do you want to stay limber and free of baseball throwing injuries this spring? Read on for cold-weather training tips.
When the weather is cold, your natural inclination is to clench up to retain as much body heat as possible. That means your muscles clench, resulting in much less flexibility and strength.
Cold muscles lack speed and power. Warm-up exercises are more important than ever when the temperatures dip to increase blood flow to your muscles and joints.
Seal in heat with extra layers while you warm up and train. To keep your muscles as warm as possible:
Muscles that get cold between innings take longer to warm up than before a game. According to Dr. Coleman, you’d require 15-20 pitches to warm up for your next go on the mound — which isn’t allowed in baseball.
Take it from a Hall of Fame pitcher, as per Dr. Coleman’s article:
“Most players have a limited window of opportunity to play the game. Failure to protect your arm against the elements can limit your performance and increase the risk of injury. In my 27 years in MLB, I never pitched a game without long sleeves and always wore a jacket or wrapped my arm in towels between innings to keep it warm, even in the Texas heat. Prevention is much easier than rehab.” — Nolan Ryan, eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999
Note that Ryan recommends warm-ups and protective clothing during the summer, too — even here in Texas!
Even if you stay warm during the game with plenty of stretching, warm-ups, and protective clothing, cold weather also robs your muscles of needed hydration.
If you want to know if you’re at high risk for dehydration, just blow: If you can see your breath, the cold air is robbing you of moisture and fluids.
“It is not uncommon for athletes to lose 5-7 pounds of water weight within 4 hours of work in 45-degree weather,” states Dr. Coleman.
He recommends a stringent hydration schedule to keep your muscles nourished. Weigh yourself before a game or practice to determine your weight before water loss. Then consume water or electrolyte drinks to the recommended amounts, as tolerated:
Have you injured your pitching or throwing arm? Contact Dr. Lintner and our medical team today for diagnosis, treatment, and rehab for baseball throwing injuries by phone or online form.
If you don’t live in the Houston area, Dr. Lintner is happy to provide a second opinion if you forward him imaging studies of your throwing arm.
