Bloomer, R. J., Falvo, M. J., Fry, A. C., Schilling, B. K., Smith, W. A., & Moore, C. A. 2006). Anaerobic exercise does not result in oxidative stress or skeletal muscle injury in trained men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38(5), Supplement abstract 2185.

This study compared the oxidative stress response to similarly matched bouts of squat and sprint exercise. Anaerobically-trained men (N = 12) performed six 10-second cycle sprints and repeated barbell squats to approximately equal the amount of work performed during the sprints on two different occasions. Blood lactate, heart rate, and perceived exertion were measured before and following each exercise bout. Muscle soreness, muscle force, and creatine kinase activity were determined pre-exercise and through 48 hours of recovery.

Heart rate and perceived exertion were not different between exercise sessions, although lactate was higher following sprinting compared to squatting. Muscle soreness was greater for squatting than sprinting (and reached a peak immediately post-exercise for both sessions. Muscle force was unaffected by either exercise session and creatine kinase activity was elevated to a similar extent following both sessions.

Implication. In anaerobically trained men, the oxidative stress and muscle injury response to similarly matched anaerobic exercise bouts is minimal, and not different between exercise modes. Furthermore, when compared to previous literature on untrained subjects, the response is significantly attenuated, possibly due to adaptations occurring as a result of chronic, strenuous anaerobic training. Anaerobic training appears to be a safeguard against the strain of anaerobic work.

[Relevance to baseball. This study provides support for the need to do extensive anaerobic training for pitching. The best form of training would be pitching itself. Thus, overloads of pitching intensity and volume are needed. When such work is performed, rather than what is popularly believed will happen (the occurrence of injury), such work actually would produce a resistance to injury.]

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