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The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acute caffeine supplementation on anaerobic performance in professional female basketball players. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, experimental design was used in a randomized counterbalanced manner. In separate sessions, 10 professional basketball players ingested caffeine (3 mg/kg body mass) or a placebo (dextrose: 3 mg/kg body mass) 60 min before completing countermovement jumps (CMJ) with and without arm swing, a squat jump (SJ), the Lane Agility Drill, 20-m sprints (with 5-m and 10-m split times recorded) with and without dribbling a ball, and a suicide run. Participants provided ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and ratings of perceived performance 30 min following testing. Data analyses included the use of effect size (ES) and significance. Caffeine supplementation produced small nonsignificant (p > 0.05) increases in CMJ without arm swing (ES = 0.30), CMJ with arm swing (ES = 0.29), SJ (ES = 0.33), and the lane agility drill (ES = –0.27). Caffeine supplementation produced small to moderate significant improvements in 10-m (ES = –0.63; p = 0.05) and 20-m (ES = –0.41; p = 0.04) sprint times without dribbling. Caffeine supplementation promoted a moderate significant reduction in RPE during the test battery (ES = –1.18; p = 0.04) and a small nonsignificant improvement in perceived performance (ES = 0.23; p = 0.53). Acute caffeine supplementation may produce small to moderate improvements in key performance attributes required for basketball while reducing RPE.

Stojanović, E, Aksović, N, Stojiljković, N, Stanković, R, Scanlan, AT, and Milanović, Z. Reliability, usefulness, and factorial validity of change-of-direction speed tests in adolescent basketball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the reliability, usefulness, and factorial validity of change-of-direction speed (CODS) tests in adolescent basketball players and (2) evaluate positional differences in test performances. Elite, adolescent male basketball players (n = 53; 17.3 ± 1.0 years) completed 6 CODS tests: "Lane Arrow Closeout," "Lane Agility Drill," "Reactive Shuttle Test," "Run-Shuffle-Run," "Compass Drill," and "Modified 505 Test." Players completed 3 trials of each test. All tests demonstrated acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.50-0.88; coefficient of variation: 5.1-7.9%). The typical error (TE) calculated for each test was above the smallest worthwhile change, rating the usefulness of all tests as marginal. The principal component factor analysis in all tests resulted in the extraction of one significant component that explained 74% of the total variance across tests. Positional comparisons showed that backcourt (guards) players performed better (small to moderate differences) in all CODS tests compared with frontcourt (forwards and centers) players. All tests were deemed reliable and valid in adolescent basketball players. The "Lane Agility Drill" and "Run-Shuffle-Run" tests seem the most appropriate to quantify changes in CODS possessing the lowest TE, whereas the "Lane Arrow Closeout" and "Lane Agility Drill" tests are the most sensitive in detecting positional differences.

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