Strength, speed and endurance changes during the course of a division i basketball season

The ability to maintain strength, speed, endurance and quickness throughout a season is vital to the success of a team. The purpose of this investigation was to examine these factors during the course of college basketball season. Nine members of an NCAA Division I men’s basketball team volunteered to be evaluated. Testing was conducted four times over the duration of the season: Before a five-week resistance training program (RTP); before preseason practice (PRES); midseason (MS); and within two days after the conclusion of postseason tournaments. There was no RTP during the basketball season. Field tests common to athletic conditioning programs were used to evaluate strength (1 RM squat and bench press), speed (27-meter sprint), endurance (2,414- meter run [1.5 miles]), vertical jump and anthropometric measurements. Maximal isometric and dynamic strength also were measured in the subject’s dominant leg using an isokinetic dynamometer. Increases (p < 0.05) after the RTP were observed only for the squat and at 1.05 radians per second knee extension and flexion movement of isokinetic testing. At MS a decrease (p < 0.05) was observed in squat and VJ, and slower times (p < 0.05) were observed in 27-meter sprint from the PRES values. Final testing revealed that speed still was slower (p < 0.05) than PRES values, and that peak torque wasincreased at the 1.05 and 3.14 radians per second knee extension movement. These data suggest that the athlete can maintain most preseason conditioning levels during the course of a college basketball season.