EFFECTS OF THE SPORT-SPECIFIC TRAINING BACKGROUND ON SEATED MEDICINE BALL THROW IN YOUNG BASKET- BALL AND VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Introduction A sport-specific training background (SSTB) based on the nature of sport might affect explosive power of upper limbs in athletes (Izquierdo et al., 2002). However, there have been no attempts to study this in young female players from different ball games background. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sport-specific training background on explosive power of upper limbs in basketball [BP] and volleyball players [VP]. Methods In the present study, thirty one short-limbed girls (Scelic Index ≥54.6) of which 11 age-matched control sedentary subjects [SS] (age: 15.00+/-0.52 years, BMI: 21.10+/-2.09, SI: 55.45+/-1.45, sedentary life: 3 years); 10 basketballers (age: 15.60+/-1.34 years, BMI: 22.67+/-3.13, SI: 54.70+/-1.37, SSTB: 3 years) and 10 volleyballers (age: 14.50+/- 0.97 years, BMI: 22.17+/-1.87, SI: 55.29+/-2.12, SSTB: 3 years), performed seated backward overhead ball throw (SBOBT) and seated chest pass throw (SCPT) using a 3-kg rubber medicine ball. All tests were performed for three times but only the best performance was consid- ered. All data were compared using non-parametric test of Kruskal-Wallis and statistical significance was determined using a probability level of P<0.05 Results Players showed higher performances than sedentary subjects in SBOBT and SCPT. However, we found only a significant difference (P<0.05) in the comparison between BP and SS during SCPT; instead, in SBOBT test, basketballers’ performance was lower than volleyballers’ one (P>0.05). Discussion These results showed that sport-specific training backgrounds affect the seated medi- cine ball throw performance. Indeed, basketball training background appears to affect much more the explosive power of upper limbs than volleyball training background in SCPT. For these reasons, in agreement with Izquierdo M et al. (2002) we suggest that the magni- tude of the sport-related differences in explosive power output by upper limbs may be explained by sport-specific neuromuscular adap- tations. Reference: Izquierdo M, Häkkinen K, Gonzalez-Badillo JJ, Ibáñez J, Gorostiaga EM. (2002). Eur J Appl Physiol, 87(3), 264-71.