Abstract
Monitoring external training load (eTL) has become popular for team sport for managing fatigue, optimizing performance, and guiding return-to-play protocols. During indoor sports, eTL can be measured via inertial measurement units (IMU) or indoor positioning systems (IPS). Though each device provides unique information, the relationships between devices has not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the association of eTL between an IMU and IPS used to monitor eTL in team sport. Retrospective analyses were performed on 13 elite male National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball players (age: 20.2 ± 1.2 years, height: 201.1 ± 7.6 cm, mass: 96.8 ± 8.8 kg) from three practices during the off-season training phase. A one-way analysis of variance was used to test differences in eTL across practices. Pearson’s correlation examined the association between the Distance traveled during practice captured by IPS compared to PlayerLoad (PL), PlayerLoad per Minute (PL/Min), 2-Dimensional PlayerLoad (PL2D), 1-Dimensional PlayerLoad Forward (PL1D-FWD), Side (PL1D-SIDE), and Up (PL1D-UP) captured from the IMU. Regression analyses were performed to predict PL from Distance traveled. The eTL characteristics during Practice 1: PL = 420.4 ± 102.9, PL/min = 5.8 ± 1.4, Distance = 1645.9 ± 377.0 m; Practice 2: PL = 472.8 ± 109.5, PL/min = 5.1 ± 1.2, Distance = 1940.0 ± 436.3 m; Practice 3: PL = 295.1 ± 57.8, PL/min = 5.3 ± 1.0, Distance = 1198.2 ± 219.2 m. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences were observed in PL, PL2D, PL1D-FWD, PL1D-SIDE, PL1D-UP, and Distance across practices. Significant correlations (p ≤ 0.001) existed between Distance and PL parameters (Practice 1: r = 0.799–0.891; Practice 2: r = 0.819–0.972; and Practice 3: 0.761–0.891). Predictive models using Distance traveled accounted for 73.5–89.7% of the variance in PL. Significant relationships and predictive capacities exists between systems. Nonetheless, each system also appears to capture unique information that may still be useful to performance practitioners regarding the understanding of eTL.
Highlights
Collegiate basketball players undergo rigorous training in an attempt to optimize performance.The reactive and intermittent efforts performed during basketball play, including accelerations, decelerations, and frequent change-of-direction movements in all planes of motion, which vary in terms of intensity, distance, duration, and frequency, make understanding the physical demands and stressorsSports 2020, 8, 33; doi:10.3390/sports8030033 www.mdpi.com/journal/sportsSports 2020, 8, 33 an athlete experiences challenging to quantify [1,2]
Wearable technologies have revolutionized the understanding of this movement signature, often referred to as external training load, or the biomechanical or locomotive stress imposed in the chaotic environment of team sport play, including the volume, direction, and intensity experienced during play [2,3,4,5,6,7]
inertial measurement units (IMU) are extensively used in applied practice among collegiate basketball teams, limited data exists characterizing the external training load (eTL) demands of basketball practice, especially during the off-season training phase, which has no data published to date, but likely exhibits vastly different demands than other phases that parallel the differences in emphasis for physical, technical, and tactical development, as well as the limited time allowed with sport-specific coaches due to league governing body regulations during each phase
Summary
Collegiate basketball players undergo rigorous training in an attempt to optimize performance.The reactive and intermittent efforts performed during basketball play, including accelerations, decelerations, and frequent change-of-direction movements in all planes of motion, which vary in terms of intensity, distance, duration, and frequency, make understanding the physical demands and stressorsSports 2020, 8, 33; doi:10.3390/sports8030033 www.mdpi.com/journal/sportsSports 2020, 8, 33 an athlete experiences challenging to quantify [1,2]. Wearable technologies have revolutionized the understanding of this movement signature, often referred to as external training load (eTL), or the biomechanical or locomotive stress imposed in the chaotic environment of team sport play, including the volume, direction, and intensity experienced during play [2,3,4,5,6,7]. This eTL during play may be dictated by several factors, including technical/tactical strategies, court size, the number of players in the drill, player experience, player position and more. IMUs are extensively used in applied practice among collegiate basketball teams, limited data exists characterizing the eTL demands of basketball practice, especially during the off-season training phase, which has no data published to date, but likely exhibits vastly different demands than other phases that parallel the differences in emphasis for physical, technical, and tactical development, as well as the limited time allowed with sport-specific coaches due to league governing body regulations during each phase
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