Klusemann, Markus J., Pyne, David B., Hopkins, Will G., and Drinkwater, Eric J. (2013) Activity profiles and demands of seasonal and tournament basketball competition. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 8 (6). pp. 623-629.

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Abstract

Competition-specific conditioning for tournament basketball games is challenging, as the demands of tournament formats are not well characterized.

PURPOSE:

To compare the physical, physiological, and tactical demands of seasonal and tournament basketball competition and determine the pattern of changes within an international tournament.

METHODS:

Eight elite junior male basketball players (age 17.8 ± 0.2 y, height 1.93 ± 0.07 m, mass 85 ± 3 kg; mean ± SD) were monitored in 6 seasonal games played over 4 mo in an Australian second-division national league and in 7 games of an international under-18 tournament played over 8 days. Movement patterns and tactical elements were coded from video and heart rates recorded by telemetry.

RESULTS:

The frequency of running, sprinting, and shuffling movements in seasonal games was higher than in tournament games by 8-15% (99% confidence limits ± ~8%). Within the tournament, jogging and low- to medium-intensity shuffling decreased by 15-20% (± ~14%) over the 7 games, while running, sprinting, and high-intensity shuffling increased 11-81% (± ~25%). There were unclear differences in mean and peak heart rates. The total number of possessions was higher in seasonal than in tournament games by 8% (± 10%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Coaches should consider a stronger emphasis on strength and power training in their conditioning programs to account for the higher activity of seasonal games. For tournament competition, strategies that build a sufficient aerobic capacity and neuromuscular resilience to maintain high-intensity movements need to be employed. A focus on half-court tactics accounts for the lower number of possessions in tournaments.

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