Multidirectional speed in basketball players: new approaches to assessment and training
Changes of direction (COD) are high-intensity actions most frequently performed during real actions in basketball games, regardless of playing position or gender. Therefore, these actions should be considered a key performance indicator in basketball players. This doctoral thesis aims to explore thi...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis doctoral |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Huelva (UHU) |
| Repositorio: | Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/27205 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27205 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Change of direction Deceleration Validation Performance Team Sport Cambios de dirección Deceleración Validación Rendimiento Deportes de Equipo 5899 Otras Especialidades Pedagógicas |
| Sumario: | Changes of direction (COD) are high-intensity actions most frequently performed during real actions in basketball games, regardless of playing position or gender. Therefore, these actions should be considered a key performance indicator in basketball players. This doctoral thesis aims to explore this athletic skill through a comprehensive review of the most current literature on the topic and to advance scientific knowledge with the inclusion of eleven scientific studies. The information has been organised into three fundamental chapters, each with specific objectives, to facilitate a better understanding of COD. Chapter 1 addresses the decisive factors for optimising COD performance. COD actions are complex multidirectional movements in which a multitude of technical and physical skills interact to achieve peak performance. In this regard, current scientific literature still exhibits controversy regarding the factors that most significantly influence performance in these actions, due to the use of different tests or assessment tools, and the characteristics of the samples analysed. Therefore, it was considered necessary to analyse the effect of different anthropometric characteristics, functional movement, linear speed and lower limb strength on COD performance in basketball players according to the cutting angle and gender. As a result, five scientific studies have been included in this section, highlighting the lower limb muscular strength as the most decisive factor in COD performance regardless of the cutting angle and gender. Furthermore, further knowledge, it was observed that velocity-oriented COD actions (i.e., cutting angles <90°) were more influenced by concentric strength; whereas force-oriented COD (i.e., cutting angles >90°) showed a stronger relationship with isometric and eccentric strength. With respect to gender, differences were also identified in COD performance between male and female basketball players. A short stretch-shortening cycle with a horizontal force orientation was the variable that showed the strongest relationship with COD performance in male basketball players; whereas a long stretch-shortening cycle with a vertical force orientation mainly affected COD performance in female athletes. Based on these findings, it is recommended to consider gender and athlete-specific characteristics when attempting to establish a relationship between different physical capacities and COD actions at different angles. Chapter 2 aimed to standardise COD assessment and validate a novel evaluation tool based on execution time. Two scientific studies were included in the thesis to address these objectives. Firstly, the results demonstrated that Asstrapp is a valid and reliable tool —cost-effective, portable, providing real-time feedback, and easy to use— which makes speed assessment more accessible to all coaches. Furthermore, it was recommended to implement a short-duration testing protocol with a single cut at various angles, using both execution time and COD deficit as evaluation metrics. This approach provides sports professionals with a more comprehensive understanding of the performance and efficiency of their athletes in multidirectional actions. Finally, chapter 3 aimed to examine the effect of different individualised training approaches on physical performance in basketball players. In response to this objective, four scientific studies were included in this section. The results underscored the importance of specific and individualised training stimuli according to the needs of each athlete to maximise performance improvements. Specifically, training programmes oriented towards specific force demands and methodologies focused on addressing the athlete’s physical weaknesses appear to be the most effective strategies for optimising sports performance. Therefore, strength and conditioning coaches are strongly encouraged to design individualised training rogrammes based on COD deficit to enhance multidirectional performance, or by targeting any other physical variable according to the specific needs of each athlete. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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