Abstract
(1) Background: The use of advanced technology to study the energy demands of sport participants during actual sport competition is an important current research direction. The purpose of this study was to identify the physiological, internal, and external demands placed on basketball referees using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, in relation to the period of the game. (2) Methods: The sample was comprised of nine international referees, and the data collection took place during the Women’s EuroBasket Sub-16 championship. Internal and external load were assessed through the inertial device WIMU PROTM, using UWB technology in order to quantify the effort exerted by each referee. The internal load was examined in relation to each individual’s heart rate (HR). The external load included the kinematic variables accelerations (Acc), decelerations (Dec), Acc/min, Dec/min, distance covered, steps, maximum speed (Vmax), average speed (Vavg), and speed zones, as well as the neuromuscular variables impacts (Imp), PlayerLoadTM (PLTM), PLTM/min, Metabolic Power (PMet), and PMet/min. (3) Results: The results exposed that referees work around 62% HRmax and spend more than 80% of the match at intensities between 0–12 km/h. The first period was the period in which the greatest work demand was experienced in relation to these neuromuscular outcomes (11.92 PL; 3.61 Met; 277 Impacts). The results revealed a diminishment of internal and external demands on the referees over the course of the game. (4) Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of monitoring and quantifying the workload of basketball officials, because doing so would allow for the establishment of individualized performance profiles that could be designed with the purpose of benefiting referee performance during games. The use of inertial devices allows for the objective quantification of referee workload under competitive circumstances.
Highlights
Basketball is a sport that has been in continuous evolution since its beginnings due to changes in the rules of the game that have been designed to create a more dynamic and attractive game for the spectator [1,2]
HRavg of beats per minute and indicates that these referees worked above 62% HRmax with a HRavg of 124 beats per minute and spent of of each period between
The findings from this study reveal that cardiovascular stress decreases over the course of the game, which is consistent with previous research [53]; the study revealed the external demands such as distance covered, PL, and Power Metabolic (PMet)
Summary
Basketball is a sport that has been in continuous evolution since its beginnings due to changes in the rules of the game that have been designed to create a more dynamic and attractive game for the spectator [1,2]. These changes have caused an exponential increase in the physical demands placed on the players and referees during competition [2]. It is necessary to better understand the demands of the game that the referees experience [4], as doing so should benefit referee physical preparation and self-efficacy [5]. Public Health 2019, 16, 3421; doi:10.3390/ijerph16183421 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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