Effects of yoga on physical characteristics on NCAA division I baseball athletes

<p>Among baseball athletes, joint range of motion (ROM) is considered an important physical characteristic with respect to injury prevention and performance. Professional and intercollegiate programs employ various methods of flexibility training; however, to date, no literature exists with regard to the effect of a yoga-based training program. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a sport-specific yoga program among NCAA Division I intercollegiate baseball players. Subjects (N=30, age 19.42 ±1.37 years) were assessed for shoulder joint (SH), hamstring (HS), and groin (GR) ROM and subsequently followed a 12-week, 2x/week yoga intervention. Post-test results indicated significant improvements in SH and HS (p<0.05). Future investigations should evaluate the influence of longitudinal yoga interventions on injury incidence and specific performance parameters (e.g., speed, bat acceleration, pitching velocity) important to the game of baseball.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Health Promotion and Human Performance

Year

2009

Author dc:creator

• McLean, Julie Biernat

Contributors dc:contributor

• Anthony Moreno, PhD, Chair
• Christine Karshin, PhD
• James Sweet, MS

• Yoga Physiological aspects
• Baseball injuries
• Physical education and training
• Rehabilitation and Therapy
• Sports Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/242

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-1241