In athletics, nearly every activity is based on some sort of rotational axis. ‘‘Running is a series of unilateral hip flexion and extension movements that can place considerable amounts of destabilizing torques on the trunk’’ (4). More simply stated, the hips and pelvis rotate on the stable base created by the core allowing movement of the subject. If the core is weak, the forces created will not be used properly. The function of the core as a unit is to resist the rotational forces of the activity and keep all motion moving in the desired direction, but not all activities mimic the demands of running. For instance, pitching or batting in baseball requires a stable base and transfer of force through the body into the arms, and it also requires rotation of that same stable base. The core has to be complex in design and function to accomplish these demands. All of the local muscles function as the main stabilizers of the spine, and several of the global muscles do as well. The lower abdominals (rectus abdominus, internal oblique, and transverse abdominus) function to provide anterior stability to aid in spinal stabilization and the erector spinae act on the posterior to keep the upper body erect. Those muscular actions function as the stable base. The external oblique along with the muscles of the hip and upper back function to create the rotation needed to complete these tasks and to control the rotation.In regards to running, rotation disrupts the function of the kinetic chain. The most efficient method of moving from point A to point B is a straight line, and any rotation occurring between those 2 points adds distance. Rotation equals lost energy, and lost energy equates to decreased performance. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the lateral core musculature to not only facilitate a rotational action in several activities but to also resist rotational forces in other activities.