The windmill pitch is perceived by coaches and players to be a natural movement and a low risk for injury. However, high levels of force act upon the upper extremity due to the dynamic nature of the motion. There is a paucity of research examining the windmill pitch and strategies for attenuating the effects of fatigue. While short-term, intermittent cryotherapy has demonstrated the potential to delay the onset of fatigue in baseball pitchers, there are no studies invesigating these effects in the fast-pitch softball pitcher. This study investigated the effects of upper extremity cryotherapy intervention on ptich velocity, pitch accuracy, percieved exertion, and perceived recovery in collegiate softball pitchers. Trained collegiate female fast-pitch softball pitchers threw 15 fastball pitches over seven innings, totalling 105 pitches, during a game simulation. In a crossover study design, participants received four minutes of a cryotherapy application to the shoulder and elbow between innings in one game simulation or no cryotherapy application in the other fame simulation in random order. Pitch velocity and pitch accuracy were recorded for each pitch as well as perceived exertion (RPE) after each inning and perceived recovery (PRS) after each intervention between innings. Following each game simulation, participants completed the PRS for three days to observe continued recovery. There were no statistical differences between conditions for pitch velocity, pitch accuracy, perceived exertion, perceived recovery, and perceived recovery, three-day post. Short-term, intermittent cryotherapy demonstrated no difference compared with no intervention on pitch velocity, pitch accuracy, perceived exertion, and perceived recovery in the collegiate fast-pitch softball pitcher. This study shows that while a short application of cryotherapy between innings may not attenuate the effects of fatigue, cryotherapy may be utilized for the analgesic effect between innings without performance deficits in collegiate softball pitchers.
