Physical Characteristics and Competition Demands of Elite Wheelchair Basketball

Leanne N Snyder

Wheelchair basketball (WCB) is one of the most popular and inclusive sports for athletes with disabilities, enabling those with diverse physical impairments to compete together. However, the diverse physical characteristics of athletes and the use of wheelchairs in competition create unique challenges for delivering effective performance support. In competitive WCB, athletes are classified on a scale from 1.0 to 4.5 based on the severity of their impairment, with lower scores indicating greater impairment. For training and research purposes, these classifications are often grouped into two categories: low-point athletes (≤ 2.5, more severe impairments) and high-point athletes (≥ 3.0, less severe impairments). Athletes may also be assigned half-point classifications (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5) if they exhibit characteristics of two adjacent classes. While this system provides a framework for classifying impairments and performance, research examining differences between classifications remains scarce. Much of the existing WCB literature has either adapted methods from non-disabled sports or examined WCB athletes as a single population, overlooking potential distinctions related to impairment severity and functional capacity on the court. This thesis addresses these gaps by examining the physical characteristics of elite WCB athletes (Study 1), comparing movement data from athlete-secured and wheelchair-secured tracking devices in WCB to best assess the demands of competition (Study 2), and analysing the competition demands of elite WCB athletes specific to sex, classification, and quarter (Study 3). The findings provide coaches and practitioners with insights that inform physical preparation of athletes to enhance their performance and contribute to the growing evidence base supporting elite WCB. Study 1 investigated the physical characteristics of elite WCB athletes and their contribution to game performance during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Comparisons between high-point and low-point athletes were conducted, and the contribution of physical characteristics to game statistics (points, rebounds, assists, and steals) were analysed. Here, high-point athletes were, on average, 13% taller, 4 to 9% faster, and demonstrated 15% greater change of direction (COD) ability compared to low-point athletes. Athlete classification accounted for approximately 74% of the variance in points scored per minute, while speed emerged as the most critical modifiable physical characteristic, explaining the variance in the rate of steals per minute (54% of variance) and assists (96% of variance when combined with arm span and sitting reach height). Low-point athletes with spinal cord injuries often experience impaired trunk control, likely explaining the observed performance differences. We conclude that both non-modifiable characteristics (e.g., classification, sitting reach height, and arm span) and modifiable characteristics (e.g., speed) were associated with game performance outcomes. Additionally, validation of the field test used to assess COD performance led to a separate publication arising from this thesis (Appendix B). Subsequently, Study 2 compared inertial measurement units (IMU)- and local position system (LPS)-derived player movement data obtained from athlete-secured versus wheelchair-secured sensors during elite WCB competition. Athlete-secured sensors recorded significantly higher total distance (2%), number of accelerations (10%), decelerations (14%), rotations (16%), and high-intensity acceleration (12%) and high-intensity deceleration events (8%), while wheelchair-secured sensors recorded significantly higher peak speed (3%), acceleration magnitude (5%), and rotational displacement (35%). Discrepancies between sensors were more pronounced in low-point athletes, likely due to reduced trunk control. Our findings indicate that athlete-secured sensors capture trunk movement that contributes to athlete workload which is not detected by sensors placed on the wheelchair. Therefore, athlete-secured sensors are recommended to better represent the demands placed upon the athlete in WCB training and competition. Finally, Study 3 quantified the competition demands of elite female and male WCB athletes specific to classification group, utilising sensor placement methods informed by Study 2. We showed that relative competition demands were comparable between female (82.4 m∙min⁻¹, 9.2 accelerations∙min⁻¹, 8.6 decelerations∙min⁻¹, and 26.0 rotations∙min⁻¹) and male athletes (84.1 m∙min⁻¹, 9.5 accelerations∙min⁻¹, 8.9 decelerations∙min⁻¹, and 24.6 rotations∙min⁻¹). Further, high-point female athletes exhibited a 9% faster peak speed, 12% more accelerations per minute, and 12.0% more decelerations per minute than low-point females. Likewise, high-point male athletes demonstrated a 4% faster mean speed and 5.1% faster peak speed compared to low-point males. Minor fluctuations were observed across quarters, but classification effects were more pronounced. We conclude that differences between low- and high-point players may be due to different wheelchair seating position and stature, and different player roles that likely reflect the severity of their impairment. These results demonstrate the similarity in movement demands between sexes in elite WCB athletes, while highlighting the greater frequency and intensity of movements in high-point athletes. Collectively, this thesis enhances our understanding of the physical profiles, movement tracking methodologies, and competitive demands of elite WCB athletes. Both nonmodifiable characteristics (e.g., classification, sitting reach height, arm span) and modifiable characteristics (e.g., speed) were found to significantly contribute to game performance. These factors should be considered in identifying talent, designing targeted training programs, and selecting athletes for elite competition. Athlete-secured sensors captured trunk movements contributing to athlete workload that wheelchair-secured sensors cannot capture, highlighting their importance in representing the movement demands of the athlete. Finally, relative competition demands were comparable between female and male athletes, suggesting a unique feature of wheelchair sport where physical characteristics may vary more by classification than by sex. High-point athletes exhibited higher movement demands compared to low-point athletes, likely due to differences in wheelchair configuration, trunk control, and their positional roles in competition. These findings collectively equip coaches and practitioners with valuable insights to optimise physical preparation and enhance athlete performance, while expanding our knowledge in elite WCB.

Physical Characteristics and Competition Demands of Elite Wheelchair Basketball

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