Comparison of Physical and Physiological Variables for Female College Basketball Players

Abstract

The objective of this project was to describe the physical and performance characteristics (by position) of 46 Division 1-A Western Athletic Conference female basketball players. The data were accrued over an 8-year period. Body density was determined using hydrodensitometry; percent fat was calculated based on body density using the Siri equation. Lower-body anaerobic power was assessed with the Wingate anaerobic test, and vertical jump (VJ) was determined with a Vertec apparatus using a counterjump procedure. The centers (n = 9) were significantly taller (p < 0.0166) and greater in mass (p < 0.0125) than were the guards (n = 18) and forwards (n = 19). The centers had significantly lower body density yet displayed higher fat-free mass (FFM) than did the guards (p < 0.05). The centers demonstrated lower peak (PP) (p < 0.0083) and mean (MP) (p < 0.05) anaerobic power relative to total body mass (TBM) than did either the guards or forwards. When expressed relative to FFM, MP was also lower for the centers compared with the guards (p < 0.01). Although the forwards were significantly taller (p < 0.0166) and greater in body mass (p < 0.0125) than were the guards, there was no statistically significant difference between these groups for VJ or anaerobic PP. However, the guards demonstrated higher MP relative to TBM (p < 0.05) when compared with the forwards. Percent power decline was statistically nonsignificant; however, this analysis was greatly underpowered (1-β = 0.57). These results suggest that in spite of relatively large differences in the average positional physical dimensions, there was very little statistical differentiation between performance variables as analyzed by position.