Factors determining the game performance of wheelchair basketball players

ABSTRACT FACTORS DETERMINING THE GAME PERFORMANCE OF WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PLAYERS Aim: The purpose of this study is to identify the factors determining the game performance of wheelchair basketball (WCB) players. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with the voluntary participation of 15 athletes playing in the Turkish Wheelchair Basketball Super League. Prior to the research, athletes were informed about the scope of the study and underwent measurements and tests. During this stage, anthropometric characteristics, body composition, isokinetic strength performance, anxiety levels, and wheelchair basketball skill test (TBBT) levels of the athletes were determined. Anthropometric measurements included body weight, seated height, arm span, shoulder width, upper and forearm circumferences, hand length, and hand width. Body composition was assessed by measuring fat and lean body mass ratios. Isokinetic strength performance was evaluated using tests for horizontal shoulder abduction/adduction (H-ABD/H-ADD), shoulder abduction/adduction (ABD/ADD), shoulder internal/external rotation (IR/ER), shoulder extension/flexion (EXT/FLX), and elbow extension/flexion (D-EXT/D-FLX). Anxiety levels of athletes were assessed using the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2). Game performance was measured using the TBBT, which includes static and dynamic shooting performance, static and dynamic ball speed, Illinois agility and slalom tests, and 5-10-20 m shuttle sprint tests. After collecting data, the relationships between athletes' TBBT scores, anthropometric characteristics, body composition, isokinetic strength performance, and anxiety levels were examined. Results: There were significant correlations between athletes' WBST performances and their anthropometric characteristics (r=0.520 to 0.783), body compositions (r=0.540 to 0.558), anxiety levels (r=0.580), H-ABD and H-ADD (r=0.514 to 0.802), ABD and ADD (r=0.516 to 0.890), IR and ER (r=0.520 to 0.761), EXT and FLX (r=0.521 to 0.796), and D-EXT and D-FLX (r=0.520 to 0.799) at moderate to high levels (p<0.05). Conclusions: Increased body fat and weight can be leveraged as an advantage for athletes, but they must be kept within ideal limits. Elevated levels of anxiety among athletes can negatively impact static shooting performance. Additionally, increased shoulder strength in TSB players generally supports TBBT performance. Therefore, coaches should consider these factors when designing training plans for TSB players. Keywords: Anthropometry, Isokinetic Strength, Anxiety, Game Performance, Wheelchair Basketball, Body Composition