Duration-Specific Peak Acceleration Demands During Professional Female Basketball Matches

Abstract

Purpose: Describing the most intense periods of match-play is important in player monitoring and the development of specific training programs. The aim of this study was to extract maximum accelerations during basketball match-play and describe those as a function over time durations. Methods: Twelve professional female basketballers were monitored during 13 official matches to calculate acceleration profiles. Moving medians of time durations ranging from 0.3 to 1,800 s were computed to extract peak acceleration and deceleration magnitudes for the resultant (|acc res |), horizontal (|acc hor |), and vertical (|acc vert |) planes. The relationship between peak magnitudes and time durations was modeled by an exponential function. Distinct curve characteristics can be described by the function parameters scale and decrease rate, which refer to an athlete's ability to perform maximum acceleration intensities over short-time (scale) and middle-time intervals (decrease rate). Generalized linear mixed-models were calculated to determine plane-specific differences in acceleration and deceleration capacities. Results: Function parameters differed significantly between |acc res |, |acc hor | and |acc vert | [effect size (ES) = 0.33-1.15]. Comparisons within each movement plane revealed significant differences between positive and negative |acc res | for the parameters scale (ES = 0.34) and decrease rate (ES = 0.39). All function parameters differed significantly between |acc vert | + and |dec vert | (ES = 0.39-0.71). Rank analyses between players revealed significant inter-individual differences for all function parameters in all groups. Conclusions: Modeling peak acceleration magnitudes as a function over log-transformed time durations provides an opportunity to systematically quantify the most intense periods of match-play over short, middle and long time intervals (0.3-1,800 s). Detailed knowledge about these periods may positively contribute to training prescriptions, which intend to prepare players for highest intensities experienced during match-play in order to improve performance and prevent injuries. Derived function parameters allow inter-individual comparisons and provide insights into players' physical capabilities. This study further examines plane-specific intensity demands of professional female basketball, emphasizing the need for coaches to prepare players for maximum decelerations in the vertical plane.

Tracking Systems in Team Sports: A Narrative Review of Applications of the Data and Sport Specific Analysis

“…The use of the power-law relationship with moving averages was therefore proposed, providing an equation to predict the peak intensities as a function of time [80], which has been utilised in research in a number of team sports [26,[80][81][82][83]. Similar approaches have recently been applied to model the decrement in peak acceleration magnitudes in basketball [84]. Such approaches can be used as a simple monitoring tool, in practice, without the pre-determined selection of an epoch.…”

“…The quantification of the peak passages of match-play has gained popularity in recent years, due to the practical utility of the data over whole match/ training aggregated values [25,44,85] and the availability of raw trace data. Research has quantified the peak locomotor demands (sometimes described as the "worst case scenario") of match-play across the football codes [72], and other fieldbased team sports (e.g., lacrosse [85], field hockey [26] and court-based team sports [e.g., netball [81], basketball [84,86]). Whilst different methodologies have been utilised-including segmental or moving averages and ballin-play [44]-the moving averages approach is the most commonly used [87][88][89][90], given its ability to capture the subtle fluctuations in the intensity of match play, as well as the functionality of the power-law relationship.…”

Efectos de 52 semanas de un programa de ejercicio físico sobre la velocidad y fuerza muscular de jugadores rusos de baloncesto de entre 12 a 13 años. Ensayo Controlado Aleatorizado (Effects of 52 weeks of a physical exercise program on the speed and muscle strength of Russian basketball players aged 12 to 13 years. Randomized Controlled Trial)

“…La realización de ejercicios de fuerza como medio para el desarrollo de la velocidad está directamente asociada a la fuerza relativa en la extremidad inferior, donde mayores capacidades de salto conllevan un elevado dominio sobre las dinámicas de control y lanzamiento durante el juego (Ciacci & Bartolomei, 2018). En este sentido, se sabe que la preparación física puede mejorar los picos de aceleración en cada jugador (Roell et al,2020), siendo esto un eslabón determinante tanto para la modalidad de baloncesto tradicional como para las modificaciones de espacio y número de jugadores involucrados en las adaptaciones modernas de este deporte (Blagrove et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2020;Conte et al, 2023), donde la preparación física de tipo general y específica ha demostrado ser capaz de modular a largo plazo la potencia, velocidad y habilidades de juego, además de la eficiencia energética en jugadores jóvenes de baloncesto (Balčiūnas et al, 2006). Por otra parte, el proceso de desarrollo tanto de las cualidades físicas como de las habilidades motrices se ve condicionado por un aumento desigual plasmado en los denominados períodos o fases sensibles para el desarrollo de estas destrezas.…”

Profile of Accelerations and Decelerations in Young Basketball Players

“…This technology records information related to External Load (EL) variables, such as distance, speed, impacts, player load or acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC). In fact, accelerations and decelerations have drawn attention in recent years in several studies [12,13], as microtechnology allows, through the change in the accumulated acceleration in three vectors (x, y and z), the monitoring of loads during training and competition [3]. More importantly, the ability to accelerate and decelerate is paramount for basketball success [14].…”