Nai-Jen CHANG

Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan

Abstract Title:Implementing a Specialized Injury Prevention Program for Youth Baseball Players

Biography:

Prof Chang completed his Ph.D. from National Cheng Kung University. He is currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Sports Medicine at the College of Medicine, KMU, and also serves as the CEO of the Precision Sports Medicine and Health Promotion Center and a joint researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Sports Science. He has published over 40 papers in renowned journals and has been a member of various editorial boards.

Research Interest:

Pitchers face a high incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries, often due to increased external rotation, leading to internal rotation deficits. While advancements in sports science help mitigate injuries, the effectiveness of weighted baseballs remains unclear. This study aimed the impact of weighted versus regular baseball warm-ups on shoulder range of motion (ROM), stability, explosiveness, and pitching performance, along with long-term health, fatigue, and injury risks. A cluster-randomized controlled trial included 66 youth baseball players, assigned to either the weighted baseball warm-up group (WBG) or the regular baseball group (CON). Assessments were conducted at three points: pre-test, post-test, and 12-week follow-up. Evaluations included shoulder ROM, maximum isometric strength, Y Balance Test Upper Quarter, Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test, Seated Single-Arm Medicine Ball Toss, and fastball speed via radar gun. Athletic trainers recorded injury data, and players completed the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Health (OSTRC-H) and Fatigue (OSTRC-O) questionnaires. Results showed that WBG demonstrated superior improvements in shoulder external rotation, total ROM, internal rotation strength, dynamic stability, and upper limb explosiveness immediately and at 12 weeks. This study suggests that integrating weighted baseball warm-ups with periodized training enhances performance and reduces injury risk in youth baseball player.

Keywords: Sports injury, warm-up, injury prevention, exercise performance