This study showed that caffeine helps baseball pitchers throw faster
LifestyleDoes caffeine increasing pitching speed?
It's no secret that your morning cup has been linked to better performance in workouts (and... other things) because of its natural caffeine content. Caffeine helps increase endurance, strength training and cardio, as well as improves focus and decrease muscle pain. When you're an athlete, increased endurance, strength and focus will only help you in your game.
The NCAA even deems caffeine as "performance enhancing" and bans consumption before games for athletes of all sports — and baseball is no exception there. But does coffee really affect baseball players?
The short answer: Yes. According to a 2022 study in the International Journal of Exercise Science, caffeine was defined as an "ergogenic aid that has been shown to enhance exercise performance, as well as a variety of sport-specific tasks."
The purpose of this study was to examine acute caffeine intake on pitching performance in competitive baseball players. Fifteen collegiate baseball players were recruited for the study and given caffeine or a placebo an hour before testing.
During each trial, players completed 10 "maximal effort" throws from a pitching mound and instructed to pitch as a hard as possible, and each pitch was measured with a radar gun behind the strike zone.
The results? Those who consumed caffeine 60 minutes before the trial had "significantly increased peak throwing speed... and mean throwing speed" as well increased strike zone accuracy compared to the placebo players.
Further evidence that coffee basically gives you superpowers — so next time you play in your beer league (or may we suggest a coffee league) make sure to swig the strong stuff before your game.
Read more baseball related coffee content and follow along with the Swig Leagues this spring — where the mugs are big and the wins are bigger. Between Pitch Black and the Creamators, who's your team? Find out more here.
[Featured Image Source: Katrina Berban via Unsplash]