Characteristics of Official Wheelchair Basketball Games in Hot and Temperate Conditions.

Fabian Grossmann,Bart Roelands,Claudio Perret,Barry Mason,Joelle Leonie Flueck,Romain Meeusen

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031250

Abstract

This study compared performance parameters of two wheelchair basketball games under hot (30.3 °C, 52% relative humidity) and temperate (21.6 °C, 30% relative humidity) environmental conditions and described the characteristics of wheelchair basketball. Eight wheelchair basketball players from two teams were monitored during two games using an indoor position tracking system. Total distance, mean- and peak-speed, playing-time, number of sprints, sprints per minute, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion were recorded. Additionally, athletes with a lesion level above and below T6 were compared. No measured parameter differed between the games. Across quarters (Q) mean velocity (m/s) (Q1: 1.01; Q2: 1.10; Q3: 1.18; Q4: 1.06; p < 0.001) and sprints per minute (Q1: 16; Q2: 14; Q3: 23; Q4: 14; p = 0.033) differed significantly, independent of the conditions. Descriptive statistics did not reveal differences between the groups with a lesion level below or above T6. In the present study, hot environmental conditions seemed not to have an impact on activity parameters of wheelchair basketball players. It was speculated that the game intensity and therefore metabolic heat production was too low; consequently, the athletes had a sufficient heat loss to prevent a decrease in performance during the play in hot conditions.

Highlights

Physical performance is often quantified by means of oxygen uptake, heart rate (HR) and lactate production or drag force [2,3], whereas mobility performance is used to quantify the interaction of the athlete and his wheelchair in terms of acceleration, speed and covered distance [1,4]
The present study was the first to analyze the effect of environmental heat stress on performance parameters and activity profiles in an official wheelchair basketball (WCB) game and to compare performance parameters activity in an official
Even if the generated data during both WCB games did not provide significant differences, the findings suggest that hot environmental conditions in WCB do not seem to be a major problem for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI)

Summary

Introduction

Match and team performance in wheelchair basketball (WCB) are strongly influenced by the athletes’ mobility performance, which is determined by the interaction of the athletes’. Activity profiles were used to describe the physical and energy demands of wheelchair team sports activities (i.e., WCB and wheelchair rugby) [5–7]. These demands, as well as the physical performance, might be influenced by external aspects such as the equipment (e.g., wheelchair, type of tires, tire pressure), floor type or environmental conditions (i.e., temperature, humidity) [8–10] and the status of personal heat acclimation as well [11]. WCB games are mostly played in air-conditioned sport facilities, which should provide uniform environmental conditions. Not all facilities have an efficient air-conditioning system and maintaining standard environmental conditions is difficult [12], and games in hot conditions (>28 ◦ C) may be possible

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion