Sprint, agility, strength and endurance capacity in wheelchair basketball players

• Published in: Biology of sport Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 71 - 78
• Main Authors: Yanci, J, Granados, C, Otero, M, Badiola, A, Olasagasti, J, Bidaurrazaga-Letona, I, Iturricastillo, A, Gil, Sm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Termedia Publishing House 2015; Institute of Sport in Warsaw
• Subjects: Body height; disability physical characteristics field tests performance reliability; Endurance; Motor ability; Original; Physical characteristics; Physical fitness; Wheelchairs; field tests; performance; physical characteristics; disability; reliability
• ISSN: 0860-021X; 2083-1862
• DOI: 10.5604/20831862.1127285

The aims of the present study were, firstly, to determine the reliability and reproducibility of an agility T-test and Yo-Yo 10 m recovery test; and secondly, to analyse the physical characteristics measured by sprint, agility, strength and endurance field tests in wheelchair basketball (WB) players. 16 WB players (33.06 ± 7.36 years, 71.89 ± 21.71 kg and sitting body height 86.07 ± 6.82 cm) belonging to the national WB league participated in this study. Wheelchair sprint (5 and 20 m without ball, and 5 and 20 m with ball) agility (T-test and pick-up test) strength (handgrip and maximal pass) and endurance (Yo-Yo 10 m recovery test) were performed. T-test and Yo-Yo 10 m recovery test showed good reproducibility values (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.74-0.94). The WB players' results in 5 and 20 m sprints without a ball were 1.87 ± 0.21 s and 5.70 ± 0.43 s and with a ball 2.10 ± 0.30 s and 6.59 ± 0.61 s, being better than those reported in the literature. Regarding the pick-up test results (16.05 ± 0.52 s) and maximal pass (8.39 ± 1.77 m), players showed worse values than those obtained in elite players. The main contribution of the present study is the characterization of the physical performance profile of WB players using a field test battery. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the agility T-test and the aerobic Yo-Yo 10 m recovery test are reliable; consequently they may be appropriate instruments for measuring physical fitness in WB.