The physical profile of adult male basketball players: Differences between competitive levels and playing positions

Abstract

This study examined the physical differences in adult male basketball players of different competitive level and playing position using a large cohort. In the middle of the regular season, 129 players from four different Divisions completed a Yo-YoIR1 and, after 3-to-8 days, they performed a 6-min continuous running test (Mognoni's test), a counter-movement jump (CMJ) test and a 5-min High-intensity Intermittent running test (HIT). Magnitude-based inferences revealed that differences in HIT were very likely moderate between Division I and II and likely small between Division II and III. The differences in absolute peak power and force produced during CMJs between Division I and II and between Division II and III were possibly small. Differences in Yo-YoIR1 and Mognoni's test were very likely-to-almost certain moderate/large between Division III and VI. We observed possibly-to-likely small differences in HIT and Mognoni's test between guards and forwards and almost certainly moderate differences in absolute peak power and force during CMJs between guards and centres. The ability to sustain high-intensity intermittent efforts (i.e. HIT) and strength/power characteristics can differentiate between competitive level, while strength/power characteristics discriminate guards from forwards/centres. These findings inform practitioners on the development of identification programs and training activities in basketball.

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“…Conversely, the lower amount of high-intensity accelerations and decelerations in centers could reflect the specificity of positional roles' actions, where they are required to occupy smaller spaces located nearer the basket (Sampaio et al, 2006). Similar playing position-related differences in physical demands of competition in basketball were found in previous studies using average scores (Ferioli et al, 2018;Stojanović et al, 2018;Svilar et al, 2018). Therefore, and unlike short-duration tasks, when coaches and sports science specialists want to design conditioning drills with a duration of 180 and 300 s and that replicate match physical demands, the positional differences should be taken into consideration so that the guards are subjected to higher physical demands (in terms of accelerations and decelerations and distance covered) than the forwards (e.g., two or three accelerations and decelerations more) but mainly compared to the centers (e.g., at least five accelerations and decelerations more).…”

Seasonal changes in physical capacities of basketball players according to competitive levels and individual responses

“…The average of the best 3 values was used for analysis. Reliability and validity of this test have been widely reported in basketball literature [5,21,28].…”

“…In addition, no stretching exercises were allowed prior to the tests. These procedures have been previously carried out to assess professional, semi-professional and amateur players in basketball [21]. All players were familiar with the tests performed in the present study.…”

“…Continuous running test (Mognoni's). The Mognoni's test consisted of a 6-min continuous run at a constant speed of 13.5 km�h -1 on a motorized treadmill (HP Cosmos, Nussdorf-Traunstein, Germany) [21,25,26]. Capillary blood lactate concentration (MOG [La-] ) was measured from the earlobe immediately after the completion of the test using a portable amperometric microvolume lactate analyser (Lactate Plus, Nova Biomedical, Waltham, MA, USA).…”

“…Athletes were instructed to abstain from any kind of warm-up prior to the test to avoid potential confounding effects on the physiological responses to the Mognoni's test. This test provides a reliable, simple and feasible method to assess aerobic fitness [21,25], which is considered important for recovery during high-intensity intermittent exercise [27].…”