Reliability and Relationship between Hip Muscle Strength and Change of Direction Performance among Basketball Players

Abstract

Background: Basketball change of direction (COD) tests are not specific to the defensive lateral shuffling movement, and no COD tests assesses the relationship between hip muscle strength and basketball specific lateral movements. Objective: We assessed the reliability of a COD test (2-2 shuffle test) performance and investigated its relationship to hip muscle strength. Methods: Using a prospective observational cohort design, data were collected from competitive male basketball players (n = 21; age 20.0 ± 3.5 years; height 194.7 ± 7.0 cm; weight 93.9 ± 14.7 kg). Participants performed two trials of the hip abductors/adductors isometric muscle strength assessment and the 2-2 shuffle test. Intraday reliability of the 2-2 shuffle test was computed using Bland-Altman plots, intraclass correlations (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and coefficient of variations (CVs). Pearson correlations with 95% CIs determined the relationship between shuffle test time and hip muscle’s isometric strength. Results: The 2-2 shuffle test time for left (ICC = 0.91, CV = 7.7%) and right (ICC = 0.86, CV = 8.4%) directions met acceptable reliability thresholds (ICC 0.8, CV 10%). The relationships observed between 2-2 shuffle test time and hip abductors/adductors were non-significant and unclear across parameters (p = 0.05, r = ≤ -0.26). Conclusion: Physical performance coaches may use the 2-2 shuffle test as the test time is a reliable metric. The hip abductors/adductors maximal isometric strength accounts for a trivial proportion of explained variance in the 2-2 shuffle test, suggesting other technical and physical abilities account for test performance.