arm care for athletes · baseball arm care · Biomechanics Research · dynamic arm stabilizer · MLB · MLB arm injuries · pitcher arm care · pitcher arm health · professional baseball research ·Dec 10, 2025

MLB Pitching Biomechanics Research 2025: Kinetic Arm Proven to Reduce Arm Stress

MLB Winter Meetings 2025: Groundbreaking Baseball Biomechanics Research Shows Major Reductions in Elbow & Shoulder Stress

A groundbreaking new study on dynamic arm stabilization technology—featuring the Kinetic Arm—has been selected as one of only five research abstracts to be presented at the MLB Winter Meetings 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

Conducted by a San Diego Padres performance analyst and doctoral researcher at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), the study demonstrates significant reductions in elbow varus torque and shoulder distraction force during pitching—without compromising ball velocity.

What This MLB Winter Meetings Study Reveals About Pitcher Arm Health

The selected research, titled “The Acute Effects of a Dynamic Stabilizer on Pitching Kinematics and Kinetics in Adult Baseball Pitchers,” evaluated 20 adult pitchers using advanced markerless 3D motion capture—one of the most sophisticated biomechanical tools now used across professional baseball.

The study examined a key challenge:
How can teams reduce dangerous throwing stresses—like elbow varus torque and shoulder distraction force—without affecting pitch velocity?

For decades, research in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) has shown that excessive elbow varus torque and shoulder distraction force are key contributors to throwing-related injuries.

Additional insight into pitcher injury mechanisms can be found via the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Why These Loads Matter

Peer-reviewed research shows:

Excessive elbow varus torque is a major contributor to UCL strain, a leading factor in Tommy John surgery.
High shoulder distraction forces, especially during acceleration and deceleration, are linked with rotator cuff injuries, labral tears, and chronic instability.

According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine and NIH biomechanics research, these forces are among the most important predictors of throwing-arm injuries in baseball.

Key Findings: Significant Stress Reduction Without Loss of Velocity

The MLB-selected study reported: Using The Kinetic Arm during pitching produced meaningful biomechanical improvements:

Reduced shoulder internal rotation velocity
Significant reduction in elbow varus torque
Lower shoulder distraction force throughout the throw
No decrease in ball velocity
No change in maximum shoulder external rotation (MER)
Consistent effects across all pitch repetitions

These outcomes align with biomechanics research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), which show that reducing joint loads can help mitigate risk factors associated with overuse injuries - especially when velocity is preserved.

Internal Kinetic Arm resources for deeper learning:
👉 How It Works
👉 Research & Data

Why This Research Matters for MLB Organizations

The MLB Winter Meetings bring together leaders from all 30 MLB clubs and 120 MiLB affiliates—meaning this type of study has league-wide implications.

Elbow and shoulder injuries remain widespread across all levels. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)

And according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), youth pitching injuries continue to rise due to specialization and year-round play:

25%+ of young pitchers report elbow pain over two seasons
Nearly 50% report shoulder pain in a single season

This research suggests dynamic stabilization technology could support pitcher health across:

Professional teams
Collegiate programs
Youth baseball academies

Organizations are actively searching for tools that can:

Reduce high-risk joint stress
Support mechanics and repeatability
Help pitchers stay healthier over long competitive seasons
Aid in safer workload management

This study suggests dynamic arm stabilization could become a core component of modern arm-care programming at the professional level.

Explore how the Kinetic Arm is used across baseball:
👉 Kinetic Arm for Baseball

Advanced Methodology: Markerless Motion Capture Sets This Study Apart

This study employed cutting-edge, pro-grade biomechanics tools:

Markerless motion capture is now widely used by MLB clubs for pitcher assessment due to its accuracy and ability to capture natural, unrestricted mechanics.

This research used one of the most advanced biomechanical setups available in sports science:

20 adult pitchers (average age 21.9 years)
10-camera Qualisys markerless motion capture system (300 Hz)
Randomized crossover protocol with 10 throws per condition
Theia + Visual3D data processing
Variables analyzed:

Ball velocity
MER
Shoulder internal rotation velocity
Elbow varus torque
Shoulder distraction force

Repeated Measures ANOVA for statistical robustness

Understanding the Two Most Dangerous Pitching Forces

Elbow Varus Torque

The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) reports that professional pitchers generate 100–120 Nm of elbow varus torque, while the UCL can tolerate only ~30–35 Nm before failure.

During late cocking, the elbow must withstand extreme valgus stress. These forces are a major driver of UCL injuries and Tommy John surgeries.

This mismatch is why pitchers are turning to dynamic muscular stabilization, and why reducing torque is considered essential for arm-care longevity.

Shoulder Distraction Force

The American Journal of Sports Medicine details how high distraction loads during deceleration phases can contribute to high tensile loads in the glenohumeral joint and increased risk of rotator cuff overload, labral tears, and chronic instability.

The study demonstrated meaningful reductions in both forces—a breakthrough for pitching biomechanics.

How Dynamic Arm Stabilization Works (and Why It’s Different)

Unlike traditional compression sleeves or rigid braces, the Kinetic Arm uses MuscleWeb® technology to provide dual-joint, movement-responsive support that:

Supports both the shoulder and elbow simultaneously
Activates during movement, not after
Reinforces healthy biomechanics through the kinetic chain
Allows pitchers to throw naturally without restricting motion

This dual-joint, movement-responsive support helps offload stress during the highest-risk phases of the pitching delivery.

Learn how the tech functions:
👉 How the Kinetic Arm Works

Impact Across Professional, College, and Youth Baseball

For MLB Pitchers & Player Development Staff

With millions invested in pitcher performance and availability, dynamic stabilization can reduce high-risk loads during bullpens, ramp-ups, player development and or recovery phases to help support long-term arm health.

Collegiate Programs

College pitchers carry dense schedules with limited rest. Dynamic stabilization can support more consistent mechanics during heavy workloads.

NCAA medical data shows shoulder and elbow injuries remain among the most common in baseball.

Youth & High School Athletes

While this study focused on adults, the implications matter for developing athletes—and the Kinetic Arm offers youth-specific sizing designed for safer throwing patterns.

AAP research warns of increasing injury rates driven by early specialization:

Learn more about youth-specific benefits:
👉 Kinetic Arm Youth Sleeve

What Makes This Research Stand Out at MLB Winter Meetings

Real-world application—teams can implement the technology immediately
Multiple critical variables measured simultaneously
No velocity loss, a top concern for coaches and pitchers
Highly consistent effects across all pitches
Best-in-class biomechanics methodology

The researcher's combined roles at PLNU and the San Diego Padres created a powerful bridge between academic rigor and MLB performance insights.

This combination is rare—and is a major reason the research was selected for MLB’s premier conference.

Looking Ahead: Future Research Directions

The study opens the door for continued exploration of dynamic arm stabilization, including:

Long-term adaptations across full competitive seasons
Return-to-play protocols following injury
Effects on youth pitchers and developing biomechanics
Position-player applications
High-volume bullpen or workload management
Neuromuscular and kinetic-chain influence mechanisms

Visit the full research library:
👉 Kinetic Arm Research & Data

Ready to Support Your Baseball Pitchers with Research-Backed Technology?

The Kinetic Arm is designed for athletes who demand the best for their arm-care system. The K2 BioKinetic® Sleeve provides dynamic, dual-joint stabilization engineered for high-stress throwing movements and the demands of elite pitching—using the same MuscleWeb® technology evaluated in this MLB-selected study.

Key Benefits

Supports proper and efficient arm mechanics
Helps offload high-risk stress during throwing and pitching
Allows full mobility and natural throwing motion
Available in adult and youth sizing
Used by professional athletes across multiple levels

Trusted by the Pros. Backed by Data. Built for Every Level

✔ Supports proper throwing mechanics
✔ Helps offload high-risk stress during pitching
✔ Allows natural, unrestricted movement
✔ Available in Adult & Youth sizing

👉 Shop the K2 BioKinetic® Sleeve

👉 Explore our Baseball Arm-Care Solutions

Learn more or request team or organizational pricing:

👉 Contact Kinetic Arm

👉 Frequently Asked Questions

Medical Disclaimer

The Kinetic Arm is designed to support arm mechanics during athletic activity and is not a medical device intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals regarding injury concerns, prevention strategies, or return-to-play decisions.

Research Citation

This article references findings from the MLB Winter Meetings abstract on dynamic arm stabilization. External scholarly and medical references include:

About the Author

Jason Colleran

Jason Colleran is a biomechanics expert with over 22 years of experience in athlete development and injury prevention. As a consultant to physical therapists, strength coaches, and clinicians, he has worked with world-class athletes across MLB, NFL, NBA, UFC, and ATP. Jason is the founder and CEO of Kinetic Arm, creator of the scientifically proven dynamic arm stabilizer that reduces arm stress while preserving full mobility.

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