Anthropometric, Physiological, and Neuromuscular Profiles of Elite Female Basketball Players Across Court's Position

Abstract

Purpose

Basketball is a high-intensity team sport that requires speed and multidirectional movements, in addition to robustly training energy systems. Thus, this study aims to provide descriptive data on the physical, physiological, and neuromuscular characteristics in elite female basketball players according to athletes' positions on the court.

Methods

Eighteen elite female athletes (25.7 ± 4.4 years old) from the elite Brazilian female basketball team participated in this study. On the first day, multiple laboratory and field tests were performed during a training camp, including body composition, vertical jumps, isokinetic strength, and running cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). On the subsequent day, a repeated-sprint ability test was performed on an official basketball court. One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc tests was used for statistical analysis. The significance level was set for the P < 0.05 for all analyses.

Results

There were significant differences in the physical and performance characteristics between positions. Centers, relative to guards and forwards, were significantly (P ≤ 0.03 for all) heavier (17%–25%), taller (6%–12%), had greater fat percentage (22%–28%), lower VO_2max (21%–26%), higher quadriceps peak torque (17%–30%), lower jump height (27%–58%), less peak force (15%–48%), and lower speed (peak and acceleration) in the repeated sprints.

Conclusion

Overall, physical capacities were able to discriminate athletes' court positions in elite female basketball, as many variables regarding body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, neuromuscular and repeated-sprint performance displayed medium-to-large effects size. In general, Guards showed to be lighter, shorter, and fitter than their counterparts. Moreover, they presented better neuromuscular performance (isokinetic knee strength, jump, and repeated-sprint ability performance).

Keywords

Body composition / Strength / Team sport / Athletic performance

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Beijing Sport University