Physiological Profiles of Elite Wheelchair Basketball Players in Preparation for the 2000 Paralympic Games

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological changes in elite wheelchair basketball players leading up to the 2000 Paralympics. Twelve male players attended regular physiological assessments on six occasions; averaged data of two sessions for each year were used. Physiological measures included body mass, skinfold measurements, peak oxygen uptake and peak power obtained during maximal sprinting. VO2peak significantly increased from 2.65 to 2.83 L·min-1 prior to the Paralympics. Training had little influence on the anthropometric measurements or maximal sprinting data. In conclusion, the GB wheelchair basketball players appeared to have high levels of aerobic and anaerobic fitness. The longitudinal physiological profiles leading to the 2000 Paralympics suggest that players improved their aerobic base while maintaining other fitness prerequisites.

Relationships between anaerobic performance, field tests, and functional level of elite female wheelchair basketball athletes

“…However, due to the anaerobic nature of wheelchair basketball [5][6][7][8] and the need of coaches to indirectly assess the anaerobic performance of their athletes without using complicated and costly methods, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between anaerobic performance (AnP), applicable field tests, and the functional classification system used in wheelchair basketball.…”

“…Researchers have emphasized the benefits of physical activity for physically disabled individuals, citing improved cardio-respiratory function, increased aerobic capacity of trained athletes, or better upper limb anaerobic performance by those practicing wheelchair basketball [19,8,20], although there is one study stating that wheelchair basketball did not lead to an improvement in anaerobic performance [8]. However, due to the anaerobic nature of wheelchair basketball [5][6][7][8] and the need of coaches to indirectly assess the anaerobic performance of their athletes without using complicated and costly methods, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between anaerobic performance (AnP), applicable field tests, and the functional classification system used in wheelchair basketball.…”

“…Hutzler et al emphasized that the level of field performance of wheelchair basketball players largely depends on their anaerobic performance [7]. GooseyTolfrey indicated that short-term efforts are especially important in wheelchair basketball, suggesting that improved anaerobic performance, especially in the case of Category A players, could influence on-court ability [8].…”

Contributions of body fat, fat free mass and arm muscle area in athletic performance of wheelchair basketball players

“…Therefore, the body composition analysis of athletes is an important factor to evaluate and control the physical fitness, measuring the practices and reliably lean mass of those individuals (Goosey-Tolfrey, 2005;Goosey-Tolfrey & Leicht, 2013;Goosey-Tolfrey, & Tolfrey, 2008;). In this sense, Neto and Lopes (2011) enforce that body composition evaluation is a way to analyze the distribution of different tissues, organs and components responsible for determining the ratio of lean and fat body mass, which are predictive variables for physiological answers to training.…”

Physical activity and transcutaneous oxygen pressure in men with spinal cord injury

“…A wide variety of studies provides evidence of improved quality of life for people with SCI related to physiological adaptation to exercise, both in additional rehabilitation [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] and high-level sport settings [41][42][43][44][45][46][47], as well as the relationship of these adaptations to improving certain skills with the wheelchair [48][49][50][51][52].…”