Influence of upper-limb muscle strength on the repeated change of direction ability in international-level wheelchair basketball players

Res Sports Med. 2022 Jul-Aug;30(4):383-399. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2021.1888110. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Abstract

This study aims 1) to compare repeated change of direction ability (rCODA) and bench press (BP) between low (A category, ≤2.5) and high (B category, ≥3.0) sport classes and 2) to analyse the relationships between rCODA and BP performance in a sample of wheelchair basketball (WB) players. Seventeen world-class WB players volunteered participated in this study. All the players undertook two tests: the repeated (x12) Modified Agility T-test (rMAT) to measure the rCODA and the movement velocity in a BP test. No significant differences were observed between categories in the rMAT and BP. For the total sample, BP variables with a mean propulsive velocity of 1 m·s-1 (V1LOAD) largely correlated with all the full rMAT outcomes (r>-0.625; p< 0.05). Having a better BP could be favourable to perform repeated efforts and this seems particularly relevant in fatigue conditions, and especially for the B category players.

Keywords: Para-sport; bench press; physical performance; repeated modified agility T-test.

MeSH terms

  • Athletic Performance* / physiology
  • Basketball* / physiology
  • Humans
  • Muscle Strength / physiology
  • Upper Extremity
  • Wheelchairs*