I recently did a presentation on the science of basketball training to a group of coaches. Below is the summary of the research findings. In the future I will give examples of how to apply this information to develop training drills and tests.
Be Well,
Mike Reid
Summary of Research and Science
Basketball is an Anaerobic Sport – power, strength, quickness, agility dominate the sport (1).
Aerobic Capacity has little effect on Anaerobic recovery (1).
low-intensity endurance training may even impair recover from high intensity exercise like Basketball (2).
Work:Rest Ratio 1:1 to 1:3 (3).
60% low intensity (1-20s), 15% High Intensity (1-15s) (3).
Distance Traveled for Pro Basketball = ~3000m, excluding walking and Shuffling (4).
Inverse relationship between aerobic capacity/training & power/strength (5-7).
The more you train the Aerobic system the lower potential you have for power, strength & lean
body mass improvements (5-7).
Interval Training: improve aerobic & anaerobic capacity at the same time (8, 9)
interval training: high intensity exercise + short rest (e.g. Line drill on 60-90s intervals).
references
1. Hoffman, J.R., S. Epstein, M. Einbinder and Y. Weinstein. The influence of aerobic capacity on anaerobic performance and recovery indices in basketball payers. J. Strength Cond. Res. 13(4): 407–411. 1999
2. Plisk, P. Speed, agility, and speed-endurance development. In: Essential Principles of Strength and Conditioning (2nd ed.). T. Baechle and R. Earle eds. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000. pp. 487.
3. MCINNES, S.E., J.S. CARLSON, C.J. JONES, AND M.J. MCKENNA. The physiological load imposed on basketball players during competition. J. Sports Sci. 13:387–397. 1995.
4. McClay, I.R., J.R. Robinson, T.P. Andriacchi, E.C. Frederick, T. Gross, P. Martin, G. Valiant, KR. Williams, and P.R Cavanagh. A profile of ground reaction forces in professional basketball. J. Appl. Biomech. 10:222–236. 1994.
5. Dudley, G.A., and R. Djamil. Incompatibility of endurance & strength training modes of exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 59:1446–1451. 1985.
6. Dudley, G.A., and S.J. Fleck. Strength & endurance training: are they mutually exclusive? Sports Med. 4:79–85. 1987.
7. Hickson, R.C. Interference of strength development by simultaneously training for strength and endurance. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 56:255–263. 1980.
8. Tabata, I., K. Nishimura, et al. The effects of moderateintensity endurance and high intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and V˙O2max. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 28(10):1327–1330. 1996.
9. Tabata, I., K. Nishimura, et al. Metabolic profile of highintensity intermittent exercises. Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. 29(3):390–395. 1997.
