Practicing Before AND After

After playing a demanding game, most pro athletes don't head straight for the showers. Many will ride an exercise bike or do something physical to prevent buildup of lactic acid in their muscles. Lactic acid is one of the products made by the process of converting glycogen to ATP, thus producing energy. When lactic acid builds up in your body it produces soreness and limits your ability to continue to exercise effectively. The only way to stop this effect is to work though a “cool down.” Getting a massage can also help by increase blood flow in the same way, but they are a little harder to come by for most folks on a daily basis.

Baseball is in the Air

(sponsored by the New Britain Rock Cats)
The heart of the baseball season is here and the pennant races are tightening as the baseball season comes down the stretch. One of the most exciting parts of baseball is watching a home run ball sail through the air into the seats.

Did you know that more home runs are hit in August than other months? Why do you think? It’s in the air! While coordination and bat speed play important parts in hitting a home run, the air pressure and temperatures also have a vital effect on how far a ball can travel.

More home runs are hit in August because the air outside is thinner and less dense thanks to warm days and nights. The colder the day, the denser the air is to help drag the ball down. It’s also all about location! Air pressure affects air density, and different ballparks around the U.S. are built at different elevations. Higher pressures exist at parks closer to sea level (like Fenway or Yankee Stadium), while it’s easier to hit homers high above sea level (like at Coors Field).