A comparison of training and competition demands of 5vs5 among professional male basketball players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare demands on physical exertion from 5vs5 full-court Training games and official Match-Plays using microsensor Technology. Twelve professional male basketball players who played in the second-tier Spanish basketball competition (mean ± SD, age: 28 ± 5,4 years; height: 196 ± 9,2 cm) were all routinely recorded during the competitive period (October-April) throughout fourteen training sessions and fifteen matches. Each variable analyzed in the study showed moderate to very large differences between Training games and Match-play (MP > TG). All Training games were aimed at reproducing real competition conditions and data were collected using triaxial accelerometers. The main conclusion of the study was that none of the physical demands analyzed in the TGs matched the needs of the real competition among professional male basketball players. A comparison of the asymmetry index in the changes of direction for each player between competition and training has also been carried out. The results reveal a tendency towards right-sided dominance. Our results could help to broaden the understanding of the external demands across official matches and training games. The present study provides valuable data suggesting that Training games were not sufficient to overload the athletes in order to build adaptations above and beyond competition demands