Female College Basketball Players Research Articles

Reducing Limb Asymmetry in Females Collegiate Basketball: A Randomized Trial

Background and Aim: Interlimb strength asymmetry has garnered significant attention in the field of sports science for its potential to influence both athletic performance and injury risk. Despite this, there is a noticeable gap in the literature concerning its impact on elite female collegiate basketball players. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of targeted weaker limb strength training in reducing jump strength asymmetry among elite female college basketball players. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled design was used, involving 24 elite female college basketball players from Guangzhou Sports University. The Experimental Group underwent specialized training for the weaker limb, while the Control Group followed balanced training. The primary outcome was the change in the maximum ground reaction force (GRF) during single-leg jumps. Linear Mixed-Effects models were used for statistical analysis, with a two-tailed significance level of p<0.05. Result: The intervention was effective in reducing Countermovement Jump Asymmetry and Horizontal Jump Asymmetry with statistical significance (p-values 0.0045 and 0.029, respectively) but did not significantly impact Lateral Jump Asymmetry (p-value 0.2733). These findings were consistent when comparing the Experimental and Control groups post-intervention (p-values 0.0055 and 0.0474 for Countermovement and Horizontal, respectively; 0.3995 for Lateral). Time and group interaction analyses were significant but not universally consistent across all measures after the Bonferroni correction. Overall, the intervention had a mixed but generally positive effect on jump asymmetry. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that targeted weaker limb strength training can effectively reduce jump strength asymmetry in elite female collegiate basketball players. These findings have implications for athletic training regimens aimed at both improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.

Prevalence and Burden of Physical Problems in Female College Basketball Athletes: A 135-Day Prospective Cohort Study.

IntroductionThe purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the prevalence and burden of “any physical complaint” in college female basketball athletes using a daily questionnaire.MethodsFifty-four female college basketball players were recruited and followed up for 135 days using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre questionnaire.ResultsThe questionnaire response rate was 96.4% (95% confidence interval: 95.7–97.1). The average daily prevalence of any problem was 44.4%, whereas that of substantial problems was 16.0%. The anatomical areas found to be most frequently affected by physical problems were the ankle (average daily prevalence: 14.5%, 95% confidence interval: 13.4–15.7), lower back (14.4%, 95% confidence interval: 13.7–15.2), and knee (9.6%, 95% confidence interval: 9.0–10.2). The cumulative severity score, calculated by summing severity scores and dividing by number of respondents, showed that ankle, knee, and lower back problems exhibited greater relative burden.DiscussionInjuries common in basketball athletes, such as ankle sprain, anterior cruciate ligament injury, overuse knee pain, and low-back pain, are reflected in the present data.

Beverage composition during a game among top female college basketball players

Rationale: The aim of this paper is to consider whether athletes belonging to the top female college basketball team in Japan will improve their performance and influence their taste and body if they drink two different sugar concentrations during a match.

Training-Induced Change in Aerobic Fitness and Anaerobic Power among Female College Basketball Players

PURPOSE: To examine training-induced changes in aerobic fitness and anaerobic power in a sample of division I, female college basketball players. METHODS: Aerobic fitness and anaerobic power were measured in a sample of female college basketball players before and after preseason training. Aerobic fitness was measured using a VO2 max test, and anaerobic power was measured using a Wingate test. Preseason training lasted one month and consisted of 8 hours per week of a combination of weight training, high-intensity interval sprint training, and skill workouts. Paired-sample t-tests were used to examine change pre- and post-intervention. Pearson correlations were conducted to examine potential associations among variables. RESULTS: A total of 13 female athletes completed this study. Maximal aerobic fitness significantly (p = .013) increased after preseason training, from 47.9 to 49.9 kg/ml/min. Relative peak power and relative mean power significantly increased after preseason training from 8.3 to 9.1 W/kg (p = .025) and from 6.7 to 7.6 W/kg (p < .001), respectively. Fatigue index did not significantly change as a result of preseason training. Despite these positive results, individual responses varied widely. Change in maximal aerobic fitness ranged from +0.2 to +6.1 ml/kg/min. Change in relative peak anaerobic power ranged from -1.0 to +3.0 W/kg, and change in relative mean anaerobic power ranged from +0.9 to +1.5 W/kg. Interestingly, change in maximal oxygen uptake and change in measures of anaerobic power were not significantly correlated with baseline levels of either of these variables. There were also no significant correlations between these changes in performance and age, year in school, or position played. There was, however, a significant, positive correlation (r = .77, p = .002) between change in relative peak anaerobic power and relative mean anaerobic power. CONCLUSIONS: Preseason training can have a positive effect on aerobic endurance and anaerobic power. These changes varied widely between athletes. However, this variation was not related to baseline fitness levels, age, year in school, or position played. This information may be useful for strength and conditioning coaches to design individualized training programs to maximize effects.

Effects of Energy Drink on Metabolic Parameters and Exercise Performance Following Basketball Game Simulation

PURPOSE: Intermittent sports are characterized by intermittent bursts of high-intensity exercise and are dependent upon a combination of anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, both of which rely on carbohydrate as an important fuel source. A potential reason for athletes to use energy drinks is due to the conception the energy drinks would promote improvement of performance and this practice has been common among athletes in recent history. This study examined the effects of energy drink on metabolic parameters and exercise performance following basketball game simulation (BGS). METHODS: Six female college basketball players, aged 21.5±1.9 yrs, volunteered for this study which was designed by a randomized counterbalanced experimental design with repeated measures under two different trials: energy drink (ED, extrication glucose 20 g from corn, citrus juice 2% from pure Calamansi fruit, branched chain amino acid 600 mg and taurine 600 mg) and placebo (PO, aspartame) with a double-blind experiment. The drink, either ED or PO is provided for the participants right after BGS, and the participants has a 20 min recovery period (POST). The BGS consisted of major basketball movements such as walking, jogging, running, low and high shuffles, dribble, jump, sprint, and pass which are all performed during 20 min. Height, body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate, blood glucose (BG), blood lactate (BL) were measured at a baseline (BASE). Vertical jump, 10 m× 5 shuttle run and Wingate tests were performed prior to BGC and POST to evaluate muscular power, agility, and anaerobic power, respectively. BG and BL were measured at right after SBC (PRE) and POST. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. RESULTS: BG decreased significantly in PO (PRE: 106.5± 13.2 mg· dL-1, POST: 91±5.1 mg· dL-1, p=.018) and BL decreased significantly in the both ED (PRE: 5.5± 1.8 mmol·L-1, POST: 3.1±1.4 mmol·L-1, p=.0001) and PO (PRE: 5.0± 0.9 mmol·L-1, POST: 3.5±0.8 mmol·L-1, p=.000). Vertical jump (BASE: 58.0±7.3 cm, POST: 55.5±8.2 cm, p=.012) and anaerobic work (BASE: 12.3±1.3 KJ, POST: 11.4±1.5 KJ, p=.035) decreased significantly in PO. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that energy drink may replenish a deficiency of fuel source and promote improvement of muscular and anaerobic power during recovery period.

Changes in Body Composition among Female College Basketball Players Pre and Post-Preseason Training

PURPOSE: To examine changes in area-specific lean mass and body fat among female, division I college basketball players before and after preseason training. METHODS: Body composition was measured before and after preseason training using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (iDXA) scan. Total and area-specific (arms, trunk, legs, android, and gynoid) lean mass and body fat were analyzed. Preseason training lasted 1 month and consisted of 8 hours per week of a combination of weight training, high-intensity interval sprint training, and skill workouts. Paired-sample t-tests were used to examine change pre- and post-intervention. Pearson correlations were conducted to examine potential associations among variables. RESULTS: Female athletes (N=11) completed this study. Total body mass significantly increased (p = .001) after preseason training from 152.8 to 155.6 lbs. Total and area-specific fat mass did not significantly change after preseason training. Total lean mass significantly increased (p = .004) from 109.6 to 112.0 lbs. However, for area-specific lean mass, only lean mass in the trunk (p = .01) and in the android region (p = .013) significantly increased from 51.2 to 52.3 lbs. and from 6.8 to 6.9 lbs., respectively. Individual lean mass responses to training varied widely. Specifically, changes in total lean mass ranged from +.02 to +7.9 lbs. Changes in total fat mass also varied widely between individuals, ranging from a loss of 2.2 lbs. to a gain of 3.5 lbs. Change in total lean mass was not significantly correlated with baseline total lean mass, age, year in school, or position played. Change in total body fat was negatively correlated (r = -.82, p = .001) but not significantly correlated with age, year in school, or position played. One athlete experienced an ACL tear midway through the season. Although her data was not included in pre-post analysis, her iDXA scan indicated a loss of 11.3 lbs. in lean mass, with the majority of this reduction seen in the legs (-6.4 lbs.). CONCLUSIONS: Because there were significant increases in total body mass and lean mass but not body fat, it is important to directly measure body composition to examine effects of training. In addition, these data demonstrate that athletes’ responses to training can vary widely thus highlighting the potential use of individualized training programs.

Characteristics of running ability with changes of direction in female college basketball players

Characteristics of running ability with changes of direction in female college basketball players

Physical and Physiological Comparison Between Indian Female College Basketball Players and Sedentary Students

The study aimed to assess and compare the physical and physiological performances of Indian female college basketball players (BB) with sedentary females (SS) of same age group. Randomly selected 20 female college students, 10 each in 2 groups, BB (19.0 ± 0.8) and SS (19.7 ± 1.3) respectively, volunteered for this study. Standing height, body weight, resting blood pressure, resting and maximum heart rate (RHR and MHR respectively), resting oxygen consumption (VO_2rest), maximal aerobic capacity (VO_2max), anaerobic power, hand grip strength (HGS) and back leg strength (BLS) were recorded. Body surface area (BSA), body mass index (BMI), maximum oxygen pulse (O₂P_max), fatigue percentage and relative peak power output (RPP) were calculated. Significant difference was observed between BB and SS in body weight (P<0.001), BSA (P<0.01), BMI (P<0.001), HGS (left; P<0.05 and right; P<0.01) and BLS (P<0.01). No significant difference was observed in height and blood pressure among the players and sedentary females, while, significantly lower RHR (P<0.01), higher MHR (P<0.01), VO_2max (P<0.001), O₂P_max (P<0.01) were noted in sportswomen compared to sedentary females. Peak anaerobic power, average anaerobic power (both P<0.01) and RPP (P<0.001) of sportswomen was also significantly higher than the sedentary group. The study revealed that female college basketball players were physiologically potent than sedentary students of similar age group. It is once again substantiated the fact that involvement in sports or games like basketball, renders a person with better physiological health and physical fitness as compared to sedentary individuals.

A Comparison of the Drop Step and Hip Turn Techniques for Basketball Defense

Change-of-direction speed (CODS) is an important quality to performance in multi-direction sports. The purpose of this study was to examine two methods used by basketball players to change directions when playing defense to see if one technique was faster than the other. Within basketball, there are two commonly taught methods of changing directions when playing defense: the drop step and the hip turn. Fourteen female college basketball players participated in this study. The study used a 2×2 (movement x direction) within-subjects repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the average differences between the time to change directions using a drop step compared to a hip turn. There was a significant difference between the two techniques in a novel test, with the hip turn faster than the drop step (F = 117.568, p &lt; .0001). These results suggest that the hip turn compared to the drop step may be a quicker means of changing directions for female basketball players when playing defense.

Gender and Motivation: A Study of the Athletic and Academic Motivations of Division I Female College Basketball Players

Student-athletes are an incredibly vulnerable population. Many dream of a professional career, but statistically very, very few will make it. Even if they have the talent, and the luck (which the v...

Relationships Among Performance of Lateral Cutting Maneuver From Lateral Sliding and Hip Extension and Abduction Motions, Ground Reaction Force, and Body Center of Mass Height

Basketball players have to move laterally and quickly change their movement directions, especially during defensive moves. This study aimed to investigate how frontal and sagittal plane hip movements relate to fastness and quickness of lateral cutting maneuvers from sliding. Three-dimensional biomechanical data were obtained for 28 female college basketball players while they performed lateral cutting maneuvers using their left leg after 2 lateral sliding steps. The lateral cutting index (LCIndex) expressing fastness and quickness of lateral cutting maneuvers, peak hip abduction and extension velocities immediately before foot contact, hip abduction and extension velocities at foot contact, peak horizontal ground reaction force, frontal plane ground reaction force angle, and sacrum center of mass position were calculated. Simple and stepwise regression analyses were conducted to predict LCIndex. The former showed that greater maximum hip extension velocity (p = 0.03) and lesser hip abduction velocity (p = 0.04) as well as smaller ground reaction force angle (p = 0.001) and lower sacrum center of mass position (p = 0.001) at foot contact led to better LCIndex. The latter showed that sacrum center of mass position at foot contact and hip extension velocity explained 35.3% (p < 0.01) and 7.3% (p = 0.088) of variance in LCIndex, respectively. Our results did not suggest that hip abductor function is important for lateral sliding moves, instead suggesting that faster hip extension motions to kick the ground and lowering the body center of mass are crucial for better lateral deceleration-acceleration motions.

Alignment control exercise changes lower extremity movement during stop movements in female basketball players

This study was intended to evaluate a short-term intervention designed to improve the lower extremity alignment with neutral position during stop movements of female basketball players when performing a quick-stop jump shot. In this study, 20 healthy female college basketball players (mean age 20.5 years) participated. The authors monitored two groups for 4 weeks: one which trained ( n = 10) and one which did not train ( n = 10). The exercise program emphasized the neutral position of lower extremities for dynamic alignment control; the players avoided the valgus position with their knees. Kinematics analysis with a lower extremity angle in the stop action was performed using three digital video cameras and analyzed using software. Following the intervention exercise program, each subject was re-evaluated at two and four weeks to determine changes in movement patterns during the “sink shot” task. Two-way analysis of variance models were used to determine differences at pre-intervention, at mid-term, and post-intervention. After the 2-week intervention, the trained athletes group made basketball shots with greater change of the lower extremity motion pattern during the stop action than did non-trained athletes ( p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found between other data of the 2-week and 4-week intervention groups. Results of this study show that two weeks of training can improve the dynamic alignment control of the lower extremities, as measured using the alignment angle of the coronal plane and the torsion angle of horizontal plane during a stop action.

Stretching Has No Effect on Free Throw Shooting Accuracy

1433 Stretching has been shown to decrease maximum muscular performance for up to an hour in a variety of movements. The mechanisms for this inhibition appear to be decreases in contractile force, reflex sensitivity, and activation. It is unknown if stretch-induced performance decrements also occur in sub-maximal, accuracy-oriented movements. PURPOSE: To determine if upper extremity stretching affects free throw shooting accuracy in female college players. METHODS: Ten female college basketball players (19.7 ± 1.7 years) performed 60 free throws following a generalized warm-up. Free throws were coded in three conditions: 20 practice shots, 20 regular, and 20 following three 20-second stretches for the deltoid, triceps brachii, and wrist flexors. Players were allowed to take up to five practice shots after stretching before the last 20-shot test. The number of made free throws were recorded and expressed as a percentage. Reliability of the shooting test was documented by typical errors between the warm-up and the regular shooting conditions. Mean shooting percentage between the regular and the stretching conditions were compared with a t test. RESULTS: The reliability of the test was good with a mean change of less than one shot (4.1%) and a typical error of 8.3%. Stretching had no effect (t = 0.13, p <0.89) on free throw shooting percentage in these subjects. The mean shooing accuracy was 80.5 ± 13.4 and 80.0 ± 8.5 in the regular and stretching conditions, respectively. These data are limited by the small sample from two collegiate basketball teams, but the data do indicate that stretching does not affect accuracy-related movements like free throw performance. CONCLUSIONS: Stretching-induced performance decrements seen in high-force muscular performance may not be present in accuracy-related movements like a basketball free throw.

EFFECTS OF CARBOHYDRATE INGESTION ON PERFORMANCE DURING A COMPETITIVE ???STOP-AND-GO??? SPORT (BASKETBALL).

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of ingestion of a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage on exercise performance during a simulated “stop-and-go” team sport (basketball). METHODS: A reproducible, high-intensity, “stop-and-go” exercise protocol (120 min including a 30-min warm-up and a 15-min half-time break) was designed to closely mimic the physical and mental demands of a competitive basketball game. Each “half” of the protocol included: 15 maximum vertical jumps, 20 maximum 15m sprints, 30 “defensive patterns” (70% VO2max), 15 4s “rests”, 20 30s “rests”, 15 “jogs” (2X20m @ 80% VO2max), and 7 “walks” (2X10m @ 40% VO2max). Ten female college basketball players performed this protocol while ingesting a sports drink (6% carbohydrate-electrolyte, CHO) or placebo (CON) using a double-blind, counterbalanced design. Participants ingested 20 ml fluid per kg body weight in portions of 2–5 ml/kg prior to exercise and during scheduled “time-out” rest periods. Blood samples were obtained pre-ingestion and at 13, 38, 67 and 92 min of exercise. Various performance measures were recorded prior to, during, and following exercise. RESULTS: Blood glucose was higher in the CHO trial compared to CON (significant at 38 min). Blood lactate and RPE were not different between trials, but increased with exercise. Subjects lost body water following exercise as indicated by nude body weight, but no difference existed between conditions. No differences in maximum vertical jump, free throw completion or timed jump shot completion were noted over time or between trials. Fifteen-meter sprint times were faster in the last 10 min of the second half during CHO and “dribble-and-shoot” basketball performance scores were higher following exercise in CHO compared to CON. CONCLUSION: It appears carbohydrate-electrolyte ingestion increased performance in some, but not all, basketball specific skills. Improvements that were observed occurred during or following the final quarter of play. Supported by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.

A COMPARISON OF THREE VERTICAL JUMP START POSITIONS

To evaluate the maximal jump height from three different start positions of the vertical jump test (VJ), ten female college basketball players (age 19.6 ± 1.1 yr., ht. 169.9 ± 9.9 cm, and body mass 64.2 ± 10.2 kg.) volunteered to participate in three trials. Start position was self-selected (SS), 25% below the center of gravity (−25%), and 50% below the center of gravity (−50%). Three trials were performed at each position. An infrared beacon was strapped to the abdomen to obtain position and displacement within 2 mm. The following data were obtained: Despite a significant difference (ANOVA, p < .05) between the −25% and −50% trials as related to the depth of pre-start position from the center of gravity and the degree of knee flexion, the power output and VJ were almost identical. The optimal pre-jump position was between the moderate (−25%) and extreme (−50%) range of motion, and was obtained through self-selection. Although all trials exhibited excellent power output as compared to norms (> 78 kgm/sec), experience obtained from many years of playing basketball may have permitted these players to determine the optimal pre-jump position.Table

An application of the matching law to evaluate the allocation of two- and three-point shots by college basketball players.

We applied the matching equation to evaluate the allocation of two- and three-point shots by male and female college basketball players from a large Division 1 university. The matching law predicts that the proportion of shots taken from three-point range should match the proportional reinforcement rate produced by such shots. Thus, we compared the proportion of three-point shots taken relative to all shots to the proportion of three-point shots scored relative to all shots scored. However, the matching equation was adjusted to account for the greater reinforcer magnitude of the three-point basket (i.e., 1.5 times greater than the two-point basket reinforcer magnitude). For players with substantial playing time, results showed that the overall distribution of two- and three-point shots was predicted by the matching equation. Game-by-game shot distribution was variable, but the cumulative proportion of shots taken from three-point range as the season progressed was predicted almost perfectly on a player-by-player basis for both male and female basketball players.

Comparison of Physical and Physiological Variables for Female College Basketball Players

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.

Comparison of Physical and Physiological Variables for Female College Basketball Players

Comparison of Physical and Physiological Variables for Female College Basketball Players

Relation between grip strength and radial bone mineral density in young athletes

In this study, we evaluated the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle strength in young athletes who had not yet experienced age-related bone loss. Radial BMD and grip strength were measured in 10 male college wrestlers, 16 female college basketball players, and 12 female college tennis players. Radial BMD was measured in the distal and middle radius by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Isometric grip strength was assessed with a hand-held dynamometer. The dominant forearm was examined in the amateur wrestlers and basketball players for grip strength and BMD. Both forearms were examined in the tennis players. A significant positive correlation was found between radial BMD and grip strength in the dominant forearm, and between radial BMD and body weight. Moreover, to eliminate a possible effect of body weight on radial BMD, we compared radial BMD with grip strength in both the dominant and nondominant arm of 12 college tennis players. Grip strength in the dominant forearm was significantly greater than in the nondominant forearm. The midradial BMD of the dominant forearm was also significantly higher than in the nondominant forearm. Based on these findings, we conclude that grip strength is one of the determinant factors of radial BMD in the dominant forearm of young college athletes.

Plasma vasopressin, renin activity, and aldosterone responses to maximal exercise in active college females

The effect of maximal treadmill exercise on plasma concentrations of vasopressin (AVP); renin activity (PRA); and aldosterone (ALDO) was studied in nine female college basketball players before and after a 5-month basketball season. Pre-season plasma AVP increased (p less than 0.05) from a pre-exercise concentration of 3.8 +/- 0.5 to 15.8 +/- 4.8 pg X ml-1 following exercise. Post-season, the pre-exercise plasma AVP level averaged 1.5 +/- 0.5 pg X ml-1 and increased to 16.7 +/- 5.9 pg X ml-1 after the exercise test. PRA increased (p less than 0.05) from a pre-exercise value of 1.6 +/- 0.6 to 6.8 +/- 1.7 ngAI X ml-1 X hr-1 5 min after the end of exercise during the pre-season test. In the post-season, the pre-exercise PRA was comparable (2.4 +/- 0.6 ngAI X ml- X hr-1), as was the elevation found after maximal exercise (8.3 +/- 1.9 ngAI X ml- X hr-1). Pre-season plasma ALDO increased (p less than 0.05) from 102.9 +/- 30.8 pg X ml-1 in the pre-exercise period to 453.8 +/- 54.8 pg X ml-1 after the exercise test. In the post-season the values were 108.9 +/- 19.4 and 365.9 +/- 64.4 pg X ml-1, respectively. Thus, maximal exercise in females produced significant increases in plasma AVP, renin activity, and ALDO that are comparable to those reported previously for male subjects. Moreover, this response is remarkably reproducible as demonstrated by the results of the two tests performed 5 months apart.