Morphological and Fitness Attributes of Young Male Portuguese Basketball Players: Normative Values According to Chronological Age and Years From Peak Height Velocity.

Sérgio Antunes Ramos,António Paulo Ferreira,Luis Miguel Massuça,Anna Volossovitch,Isabel Fragoso

doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.629453

Sérgio Antunes Ramos, António Paulo Ferreira + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.629453

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Abstract

The aims of the present study were: (i) to describe the structural and functional attributes of young male Portuguese basketball players aged 12–16 years and (ii) to generate normative data according to chronological age and years from peak height velocity. A total of 281 male Portuguese young basketball players between the ages of 12 and 16 years were assessed in this study. Chronological age, maturity parameters (maturity offset and predicted age at peak height velocity), morphological (body mass, height, and skinfolds and length), and fitness (sprint, change of direction ability, jump, and upper body strength) attributes were measured. Descriptive statistics were determined for the age and maturity status, and the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were chosen as reference values. Descriptive and normative values of the players' morphological and fitness attributes, stratified by age and maturity status, are provided. The normative values of age at peak height velocity (category YAPHV = 0) showed that regional basketball players presented average values (50th percentile) of 169.8 cm for height, 173.3 cm for arm span, 55.6 kg for body mass, 3.34 s for the 20-m speed test, 10.31 s for the T-test, 4.75 m for the 2-kg medicine ball throw, 66.9 kg for the combined right and left handgrip strength, and 30.1 and 35.9 cm for jump height in the countermovement jump (CMJ) and CMJ with arm swing, respectively. In conclusion, these results may be helpful to quantify and control an athlete's performance over time and to adjust strength and conditioning programs to biological demands.

Highlights

Basketball is a complex team sport where physical attributes, physiological performance, technical skills, tactical knowledge, and psychological attributes contribute to the players’ and overall team’s success (Trninicand Dizdar, 2000; Ostojic et al, 2006; Drinkwater et al, 2008; Torres-Unda et al, 2013, 2016; Ramos et al, 2019, 2020)
This allowed us to create an extensive database of the morphological and fitness attributes of high-level young players according to their chronological age and years from age at peak height velocity (YAPHV)
The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of (i) body size and arm span, (ii) speed and change of direction (COD) ability, (iii) countermovement jumps, and (iv) the 2-kg medicine ball throw (MBT) and HG strength are graphically presented in Figures 1–4, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Basketball is a complex team sport where physical attributes, physiological performance, technical skills, tactical knowledge, and psychological attributes contribute to the players’ and overall team’s success (Trninicand Dizdar, 2000; Ostojic et al, 2006; Drinkwater et al, 2008; Torres-Unda et al, 2013, 2016; Ramos et al, 2019, 2020). It was shown that the monitoring of players’ attributes is important during periods of accelerated biological development in order to control the adaption to training exposure, to reduce the injury risk, and, thereby, to enhance the coaching effectiveness process (Ryan et al, 2018; Salter et al, 2021) In this regard, establishing normative data for a particular population may improve the sensitivity of the selection criteria (Ryan et al, 2018; Salter et al, 2021) and provide coaching staff with specific references for the athletes’ development program by comparing the morphological and physical status of the assessed players with the age normative data for specific populations (Ocarino et al, 2021)

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