PHYSIOLOGICAL AREA   

Medicina dello Sport 2009 March;62(1):1-16

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Improvement in metabolic parameters and specific skills in an elite wheelchair basketball team: a pilot study

Traballesi M. ^{1, 2}, Averna T. ¹, Delussu A. S. ¹, Polidori L. ^{1, 2}, Di Giusto C. ^{1, 2}, Di Carlo C. ^{1, 2}, Brunelli S. ^{1, 2}

¹ Santa Lucia, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare, Rome, Italy 2 CMB Santa Lucia Sport

Aim. This study was assessed an elite team, at the beginning and at the theoretical peak of the wheelchair basketball competition season. The aim was to identify the whole team’s improvements in physiological characteristics and specific skills. Methods. Eleven players of an Italian elite wheelchair basketball team were divided into two subgroups: four players without lower limb amputation (functional class < 4) and seven players with amputation (functional class ?4). Team’s improvements were assessed by evaluating aerobic, anaerobic, alternating aerobic-anaerobic metabolism and specific wheelchair basketball skills in two occasions.
Results. The team significantly improved in anaerobic power (+2%), heart rate of recovery during aerobic-anaerobic test (-6%) and in four of six specific abilities (lay up +3.6%; zone-shot +6.6%; figure-eight +5%; pass for accuracy +17.6%). Along the competition season the amputated players had better tests performance than non-amputated ones, with statistically significant differences.
Conclusion. This study suggests that training may improve some metabolic parameters and specific sport skills of an elite wheelchair basketball team along the competition season.