This study evaluated the effects of a neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up program on injury incidence, neuromuscular function, and program adherence, maintenance and acceptance in adolescent basketball players. A total of 275 players from 20 Slovenian teams (15 ± 1.7 years of age), were randomized into an intervention group (IG, n=129) and a control group (CG, n=146). Over three months, the IG incorporated NMT into their warm-ups, while the CG followed their usual practice. Measurements of body anthropometry, muscle contractile properties, and balance were taken before and after the intervention. Also, the injury incidence, training adherence and maintenance were reported. Both groups showed improved balance, with no significant difference between them. However, IG demonstrated reduced delay times in specific muscles, indicating improved neuromuscular function. Injury prevalence proportion (%) during the whole study period was higher in the control group compared to intervention (IG: 10.9% vs. CG: 23.3%), and incidence rate. Moreover, the incidence rate ratio for sustaining an injury was 2.6 on average (ranging from 0.88 to 7.07 for tendon and muscle injuries, respectively), indicating significantly lower injury risk in IG than CG. These findings highlight the effectiveness of NMT warm-ups in reducing injury risk and enhancing neuromuscular function, emphasizing the value of structured injury prevention strategies in youth sports..
- MeSH
- Anthropometry MeSH
- Basketball * injuries physiology MeSH
- Incidence MeSH
- Physical Conditioning, Human methods MeSH
- Muscle, Skeletal injuries physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Tendon Injuries prevention & control epidemiology MeSH
- Postural Balance physiology MeSH
- Athletic Injuries * prevention & control epidemiology MeSH
- Muscle Contraction physiology MeSH
- Muscle Strength physiology MeSH
- Warm-Up Exercise * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovenia MeSH
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the impact of SportsMetrics programs on knee and ankle kinematics, as well as knee-ankle coupling responses during double leg landings among female athletes with dynamic knee valgus (ligament dominance). METHODS: Eighty-four female athletes, including 30 volleyball players, 30 basketball players, and 24 soccer players, were randomly divided into two equal training (TG) and a control groups (CG). The TG underwent 18 sessions of SportsMetrics exercises, while the CG maintained their regular exercise routine. Dynamic knee valgus, lower limb kinematics, and coordination were assessed using the double leg squat and landing error scoring system tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures encompassed knee sagittal and frontal kinematics, ankle sagittal kinematics, as well as knee-ankle coordination and its variability. RESULTS: Significant reduction in knee range of motion in the frontal plane was observed across all three sports during landing. The SportsMetrics program tailored for basketball players led to a specific increase in knee flexion. CONCLUSION: The implementation of SportsMetrics effectively modifies ACL injury risk factors, addressing dynamic knee valgus and landing techniques in female athletes. Female athletes displaying dynamic knee valgus are advised to incorporate sport-specific SportsMetrics programs into their training regimens for optimal results.
- MeSH
- Basketball physiology MeSH
- Biomechanical Phenomena physiology MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Soccer physiology MeSH
- Ankle Joint * physiology MeSH
- Knee Joint * physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries physiopathology MeSH
- Range of Motion, Articular * physiology MeSH
- Athletes MeSH
- Volleyball physiology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
BACKGROUND: The anthropometric characteristics of adolescent basketball athletes can determine their ability to produce muscle power. Lack of physical activity (PA) level or an increased sedentary life seem to be associated with the overall health status and the occurrence of knee injuries. The aim of this paper was to identify possible correlations between anthropometric characteristics, body composition, exposure time to electronic devices or screen time (ST), and PA level along with muscle power and dynamic knee valgus (DKV) in young basketball athletes. METHODS: Anthropometric and demographic characteristics were recorded. PA level was assessed through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and ST was assessed through a single question from the HELENA study. The Counter Movement Jump test was used for the evaluation of the lower limb muscle power, while the Single Leg Drop Jump test was used for the evaluation of the DKV via two-dimensional (2D) kinematic analysis. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-five adolescent basketball athletes (66.4% boys), 12 to 17 years old (13.94±1.58 years) participated. The Pearson index showed a statistically significant positive correlation between muscle power and height (r=0.788, P<0.001), while the Spearman Index showed a more minor but equally statistically significant positive correlation with Body Mass Index (rs=0.651, P<0.001) and age (rs=0.579, P<0.001). The ST (rs= -0.194, P=0.03) showed a weak negative correlation with DKV, while PA (r=0.85, P<0.001) showed a high, statistically significant, positive correlation. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of PA could play a key role in compensating and thus reducing the negative effects of high exposure to ST on the DKV.
- MeSH
- Anthropometry MeSH
- Basketball * physiology MeSH
- Biomechanical Phenomena MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Lower Extremity * physiology MeSH
- Body Mass Index MeSH
- Knee Joint physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Movement physiology MeSH
- Body Composition physiology MeSH
- Muscle Strength * physiology MeSH
- Body Height MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
The objectives of this study were to investigate: 1) whether there were morning-to-evening differences in short-term maximal performance and 2) the impact of prolonged and specific warm-up on short-term maximal performance diurnal variations in young basketball players. Fifteen basketball players of both sexes (Male = 8; Female = 7; age: 14.4 ± 0.46 yr; weight: 64.7 ± 7.1 kg; height: 175.2 ± 6.6 cm; BMI: 21.1 ± 1.9 kg/m2) completed the following short-term maximal performance tests: CMJ with and without arm swing, Lane Agility Drill, Zig-Zag agility test with and without the ball, Sprint 20 m with and without the ball with the passage at 5 and 10 m. All tests were performed after the 15-min standard warm-up procedure (with static stretching) and/or 25-min specific warm-up (with prolonged running and dynamic stretching) in the morning and evening. Vertical jumping tests and all change-of-direction speed tests (with and without a ball) with superior responses were achieved in the evening after standard warm-up among all participants (p < 0.05). In contrast, superior short-term maximal performance was observed in the morning after prolonged and specific warm-up protocol (p < 0.05). It was concluded that specific and prolonged warm-up protocols are suitable strategy to prevent diurnal variation in short-term maximal performance in young basketball players.
- MeSH
- Basketball * physiology MeSH
- Running * physiology MeSH
- Circadian Rhythm MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Athletic Performance * physiology MeSH
- Muscle Stretching Exercises * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Autori príspevku zisťovali prostredníctvom dotazníka či existujú signifikantné rozdiely v názoroch učiteľov na vyučovanie basketbalu z pohľadu intersexuálnych rozdielov. Skúmaný súbor tvorilo 450 učiteľov telesnej a športovej výchovy (274 mužov a 176 žien), ktorí vyučujú na 2. stupni základných škôl zo 17 okresov východného Slovenska. Signifikantné rozdiely na hladine p<0,01 boli zaznamenané v obľúbenosti vyučovania basketbalu. Zatiaľ čo u 20,45 % žien je basketbal po volejbale (39,77 %) druhou najradšej vyučovanou športovou hrou, tak u 13,14 % mužov bol basketbal po futbale (40,51 %), volejbale (21,90 %) a florbale (19,71 %) až štvrtou najradšej vyučovanou športovou hrou. Napriek signifikantným rozdielom (p<0,01) viac ako 54 % mužov a 48 % žien vyučuje basketbal najčastejšie v rozsahu 6 – 10 hodín v rámci jedného tematického celku. Negatívnym zistením je, že basketbal nevyučuje 3,28 % mužov a až 11,36 % žien. Pri vyučovaní dominuje u oboch pohlaví (54,72 % mužov a 55,77 % žien) herne orientovaný didaktický prístup. Podľa 32,85 % mužov a 40,91 % žien je hlavným nedostatkom vyučovania basketbalu nízky záujem žiakov o vyučovanie tejto športovej hry. Druhým najčastejšie zvoleným nedostatkom vyučovania basketbalu bola nízka časová dotácia predmetu (29,59 % mužov a 28,41 % žien).
The authors of the study used a questionnaire to find out whether there are significant differences in teachers' views on teaching basketball from a point of view of gender differences. The sample consisted of 450 physical and sport education teachers (274 men and 176 women) who teach in 17 districts in eastern Slovakia, in upper primary schools. Significant differences at the p<0.01 level were found in the popularity of teaching basketball. While for 20.45% of women, basketball is the second most popular taught sport after volleyball (39.77%), for 13.14% of men, basketball is the fourth most popular taught sport after football (40.51%), volleyball (21.90%), and floorball (19.71%). Despite significant differences (p<0.01), more than 54% of men and 48% of women teach basketball most often for 6-10 hours within a single thematic unit. A negative finding is that 3.28% of men and 11.36% of women do not teach basketball. Game-oriented didactic approach dominates in teaching for both genders (54.72% of men and 55.77% of women). According to 32.85% of men and 40.91% of women, the main disadvantage of teaching basketball is the low interest of pupils in learning the sport. The second most frequently chosen shortcoming of basketball teaching was the low time allocation of the subject (29.59% of men and 28.41% of women).
The current systematic review (PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022334707) of observational (OS) and interventional studies (IS) aimed at evaluating the state of scientific knowledge on the basics of sports nutrition, framing discipline-specific dietary recommendations, and indicating potential directions for future studies in various age, experience level, and able-bodied abilities groups of basketball players (BP). A systematic search of PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science ended on 20 December 2022. Records were excluded if reporting studies on animals, sport disciplines other than basketball, or supplementation protocols other than those related to macronutrients and hydration manipulations. Risk of bias (RoB) was evaluated using Cochrane RoB_2 tools, 'JBI checklist for prevalence studies', and 'Quality assessment tool for before-after (pre-post) studies with no control group'. The relevant data was synthesized in tables and a narrative review was performed. Seventy-two records were included (2581 participants): 63 were on able-bodied BP (2433 participants) and 9 on para-athlete players (148 participants); 45 records were OS and 27 IS. The review disclosed widespread poor nutritional habits and knowledge and shortages in applying adequate nutritional and hydration practices in BP. Moreover, the systematic review revealed the lack of a sufficient number of investigations delivering reliable proof for framing discipline-specific and evidence-based recommendations on the basics of sports nutrition in basketball.
- MeSH
- Basketball * MeSH
- Diet MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Para-Athletes * MeSH
- Forecasting MeSH
- Sports Nutritional Sciences * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Systematic Review MeSH
Background: Although small-sided games (SSG) have been a popular method recently, the number of studies on female athletes is limited.Objective: This study investigated the effects of basketball-specific 2vs2, 3vs3 and 4vs4 SSG on psychological and technical responses. Methods: Eighteen young female basketball players with an age of 15.6 ± 0.7 years, a height of 175.0 ± 4.9 cm, a basketball experience of 5.6 ± 0.7 years, and a body mass index of 20.8 ± 1.1 kg/m2 participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test 1 were conducted. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE), enjoyment of physical activity (PACES-S), mental fatigue and emotion responses of the players were assessed after each bout in basketball-specific 2vs2, 3vs3 and 4vs4 SSG. Results: Significant differences in RPE, PACES-S and emotional responses were found for 2vs2, 3vs3 and 4vs4 games (p < .05). In addition to these results, 2vs2 and 3vs3 formats revealed significant differences in rebounding, successful shots, unsuccessful shots and successful passes in the technical responses (p < .05). Conclusions: The findings show that changing game forms can improve player experiences and encourage higher levels of physical activity, enjoyment, emotional responses, and technical ability. Further research could explore additional variables, such as tactical decision-making, cognitive load, and long-term effects of using different game forms.
- MeSH
- Basketball * MeSH
- Exercise psychology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Motor Skills MeSH
- Motor Activity MeSH
- Resilience, Psychological * MeSH
- Athletic Performance MeSH
- Team Sports MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Clinical Study MeSH
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of 10-week heart rate variability biofeedback training on basketball skills, free throws, and heart rate variability parameters. Twenty-four basketball players (experimental, n = 12 and control, n = 12) aged 18-24 years volunteered to participate in this study. The experimental group participated in a 10-week heart rate variability biofeedback and basketball training program, while the control group only participated in the 10-week basketball training session. Basketball free-throw performance, basketball skills, and heart rate variability tests were conducted on the experimental and control groups before and after the 10-week intervention. Consequently, we discovered that basketball free-throw performance, breathing frequency, and heart rate variability parameters, which reflect vagal modulation of parasympathetic activity, improved in participants who underwent the 10-week heart rate variability biofeedback and basketball training, and not in those who took basketball training only. Our findings propose that heart rate variability biofeedback, alongside basketball workouts, can contribute to better basketball free-throw performance potentially through improved autonomic nervous system functioning.
The goal of this study was to compare the effects of a bilateral conditioning activity consisting of back squats and drop jumps with a unilateral one consisting of split squats and depth jumps to lateral hop over sequentially performed countermovement jump (CMJ), modified t-agility test (MAT), and Achilles tendon stiffness. Twenty-six basketball players participated in this study and were randomly and equally assigned to one of two different test groups: bilateral (B - CA) or unilateral (U - CA) conditioning activity group. The B - CA group completed 2 sets of 4 repetitions of back squats at 80% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), then 10 drop jumps, while the U - CA group performed 2 sets of 2 repetitions of split squats on each leg at 80%1RM, followed by 5 depth jumps to lateral hop on each leg as conditioning activity (CA) complexes. After a warm-up and 5 min before the CA the baseline Achilles tendon stiffness, CMJ, and MAT time measurement were performed. In the 6th min after the CA, all tests were re-tested in the same order. The two-way repeated measures mixed ANOVAs revealed that both B - CA and U - CA failed to produce significant improvements in CMJ and MAT performance. In addition, a significant increase in Achilles stiffness was demonstrated with both protocols (a main effect of time: p = 0.017; effect size = 0.47; medium). This study revealed that combining back squats and drop jumps, as well as split squats and depth jumps to a lateral hop, had no effect on subsequent CMJ and MAT performance in basketball players. Based on these results, it can be assumed that combinations of exercises, even if they have similar movement patterns, may cause excessive fatigue, resulting in no PAPE effect.
- MeSH
- Achilles Tendon * MeSH
- Basketball * MeSH
- Exercise MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Posture MeSH
- Athletic Performance * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
The α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene rs1815739 (C/T, R577X) polymorphism is a variant frequently associated with athletic performance among different populations. However, there is limited research on the impact of this variant on athlete status and physical performance in basketball players. Therefore, the aim of this study was twofold: (1) to determine the association of ACTN3 rs1815739 polymorphism with changes in physical performance in response to six weeks of training in elite basketball players using 30 m sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (IR 2) tests, and (2) to compare ACTN3 genotype and allelic frequencies between elite basketball players and controls. The study included a total of 363 individuals, comprising 101 elite basketball players and 262 sedentary individuals. Genomic DNA was isolated from oral epithelial cells or leukocytes, and genotyping was performed by real-time PCR using KASP genotyping method or by microarray analysis. We found that the frequency of the ACTN3 rs1815739 XX genotype was significantly lower in basketball players compared to controls (10.9 vs. 21.4%, p = 0.023), suggesting that RR/RX genotypes were more favorable for playing basketball. Statistically significant (p = 0.045) changes were observed in Yo-Yo IRT 2 performance measurement tests in basketball players with the RR genotype only. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the carriage of the ACTN3 rs1815739 R allele may confer an advantage in basketball.
- MeSH
- Actinin * genetics MeSH
- Basketball * MeSH
- Gene Frequency MeSH
- Genotype MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Polymorphism, Genetic MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
