title: Seasonal progression and variability of repeat-effort line-drill performance in elite junior basketball players.
abstract: To determine gender differences, positional differences, and patterns of change in the performance of the basketball line-drill test, 93 male (mean age 16.8 years, s = 1.1) and 95 female (mean age 16.5 years, s = 1.0) basketball players undertook 516 line-drill tests over a 5-year period. Log-transformed performance times were analysed using a mixed model that included quadratic within-participant fixed effects for time in the season and time in the programme. Changes and differences were standardized for interpretation of magnitudes. Mean performance times were 28.0 s (s = 1.3) for males and 30.4 s (s = 1.3) for females. The mean pattern of change in performance within a season differed substantially between the sexes and playing positions: male guards and female centres showed moderate to very large improvements mid-season of 1.1% and 3.5% respectively (90% confidence limits +/-2.1% and +/-3.0%), while female guards and male forwards showed large to very large decrements of -1.6% (+/-2.6%) and -2.4% (+/-2.0%). Over 3 years, males improved performance across all three playing positions by 1.4% (+/-1.3%) and females by 2.9% (+/-1.4%). Males improved performance by 0.2% (+/-0.5%) per year, whereas the performance of females deteriorated by 0.6% (+/-0.4%) per year. The differing patterns of performance change presumably reflect variations in training and competition loads, with short-term fluctuations in performance being managed to promote longer-term improvements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport, Belconnen, ACT, Australia. paul.montgomery@ausport.gov.au
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pyne
authors.forename: Will G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Clare L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Minahan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors