Plasticity of human handedness: decreased one-hand bias and inter-manual performance asymmetry in expert basketball players

Athletes frequently have to adapt their skills to fast changes of play, often requiring the flexible execution of a particular movement skill with either hand. To assess the influence of sport-specific expertise and extensive sport training on human laterality, a video analysis of regular basketball games was performed for professional, semi-professional, and amateur players to investigate how non-dominant hand use and proficiency change with increasing expertise. Our results showed that the right-hand (i.e. dominant hand) bias in basketball players is reduced with increasing expertise (i.e., competitive level). Accordingly, we found that professional players use their non-dominant hand more often and with greater success than semi-professional and amateur players. This was true for most of the basketball-specific skills. Based on these results, we assume that increasing amounts of bilateral practice can lead to a shift in task-specific manual preference towards a higher use of both hands in competition, as well as to a higher proficiency for non-dominant hand actions in particular. From an applied perspective, the more frequent use and higher proficiency of the non-dominant hand in professional basketball players, compared with amateurs, suggests that the context-specific and skilled use of the non-dominant hand is crucial for successful play at higher competitive levels in the sport of basketball.     

Visual function,performance, and processing of basketball players vs. sedentary individuals

BackgroundAthletes tend to have better visuo-motor performance than do sedentary individuals. However, several basic visual-function and perceptual parameters remain unexplored to date. In this study, we investigated whether differences exist in visual function, performance, and processing between basketball players and individuals without a sport-involvement background.MethodsA total of 33 healthy men with no visual impairment or pathology were divided into 2 groups, depending on the involvement in sport (semi-professional basketball players and sedentary individuals). We tested their baseline heart-rate variability in the resting position apart from subjective questionnaires to determine their physical fitness level, and we checked their visual function, performance, and processing through an extended battery of optometric tests.ResultsThe 2 groups differed in resting heart-rate variability parameters (p < 0.001), confirming their dissimilarities in regular time practising sports per week. The basketball players showed a closer breakpoint and recovery nearpoint of convergence, a higher fusional-vergence rate, better discriminability halos, and better eye–hand coordination (all p values < 0.05).ConclusionThese results show evidence that athletes, basketball players in this case, exhibit better performance in several visual abilities in comparison to a group of individuals without sporting backgrounds, suggesting an improvement due to the systematic involvement of those skills during basketball practice.     

Relationship between achievement goal orientations and the perceived purposes of playing rugby union for professional and amateur players

The recent professionalization of rugby union makes it an excellent achievement context in which to examine the relationship between achievement goal orientations and the perceived purposes of sport as a function of competitive standard. During the 1996–97 season, 73 professional and 106 amateur rugby players in England completed a series of questionnaires assessing their achievement goal orientations, beliefs about the purposes of rugby and demographic information. The results of a canonical correlation analysis revealed a conceptually coherent relationship between achievement goal orientations and purposes of rugby. Specifically, a high ego/ moderate task orientation was positively related to fitness, aggression and financial remuneration as significant purposes of rugby. Professional players scored higher on those purposes of rugby related to aggression, financial remuneration and fitness, but lower on sportspersonship than amateur players. Professional players also reported higher task and ego goal orientations than amateur players. The findings are discussed in terms of the differences in lifestyle and motivation of professional and amateur rugby union players.     

Relationship between achievement goal orientations and the perceived purposes of playing rugby union for professional and amateur players

The recent professionalization of rugby union makes it an excellent achievement context in which to examine the relationship between achievement goal orientations and the perceived purposes of sport as a function of competitive standard. During the 1996-97 season, 73 professional and 106 amateur rugby players in England completed a series of questionnaires assessing their achievement goal orientations, beliefs about the purposes of rugby and demographic information. The results of a canonical correlation analysis revealed a conceptually coherent relationship between achievement goal orientations and purposes of rugby. Specifically, a high ego/moderate task orientation was positively related to fitness, aggression and financial remuneration as significant purposes of rugby. Professional players scored higher on those purposes of rugby related to aggression, financial remuneration and fitness, but lower on sportspersonship than amateur players. Professional players also reported higher task and ego goal orientations than amateur players. The findings are discussed in terms of the differences in lifestyle and motivation of professional and amateur rugby union players.     

The relative age effect in soccer: A match-related perspective

Asymmetries in the distributions of birth dates in senior professional and youth soccer players have been interpreted as evidence for systematic discrimination against individuals born shortly before the cut-off date in assigning youth to specific age groups. This concept is known as the “relative age effect”. The results of a longitudinal study of birth date distritubions of 2757 semi-professional and amateur senior soccer players in Belgium are presented. Records for competitive games were available in official statistics provided by the Royal Belgian Football Association. The chi-square statistic was used to examine differences between observed and expected birth date distributions. Regression analyses indicated a shift of bias when two different start dates were compared. Players born in the early part of the new age band (January to March) were over-represented compared with players born late in the new selection period (October to December). However, players with birthdays at the start of the old selection year (August) were still represented. In a retrospective analysis of 2138 players, variables indicative of match involvement, number of selections for matches, and time played were examined in relation to the relative age effect. The group of semi-professional and amateur senior soccer players born in the first quarter of the selected age band received more playing opportunities. Comparisons of birth date distributions (traditional approach to relative age effect) with match-related variables gave similar, though not entirely consistent, results. However, there were no differences for the mean number of selections and for playing minutes between players born at the start or the end of the selection year. Our findings suggest that match-based variables may provide a more reliable indication of the relative age effect in soccer.     

Science of rugby league football: a review

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the science of rugby league football at all levels of competition (i.e. junior, amateur, semi-professional, professional), with special reference to all discipline-specific scientific research performed in rugby league (i.e. physiological, psychological, injury epidemiology, strength and conditioning, performance analysis). Rugby league football is played at junior and senior levels in several countries worldwide. A rugby league team consists of 13 players (6 forwards and 7 backs). The game is played over two 30 - 40 min halves (depending on the standard of competition) separated by a 10 min rest interval. Several studies have documented the physiological capacities and injury rates of rugby league players. More recently, studies have investigated the physiological demands of competition. Interestingly, the physiological capacities of players, the incidence of injury and the physiological demands of competition all increase as the playing standard is increased. Mean blood lactate concentrations of 5.2, 7.2 and 9.1 mmol . l(-1) have been reported during competition for amateur, semi-professional and professional rugby league players respectively. Mean heart rates of 152 beats . min(-1) (78% of maximal heart rate), 166 beats . min(-1) (84% of maximal heart rate) and 172 beats . min(-1) (93% of maximal heart rate) have been recorded for amateur, semi-professional and junior elite rugby league players respectively. Skill-based conditioning games have been used to develop the skill and fitness of rugby league players, with mean heart rate and blood lactate responses during these activities almost identical to those obtained during competition. In addition, recent studies have shown that most training injuries are sustained in traditional conditioning activities that involve no skill component (i.e. running without the ball), whereas the incidence of injuries while participating in skill-based conditioning games is low. Collaborative research among the various sport science disciplines is required to identify strategies to reduce the incidence of injury and enhance the performance of rugby league players. An understanding of the movement patterns and physiological demands of different positions at all standards of competition would allow the development of strength and conditioning programmes to meet the precise requirements of these positions. Finally, studies investigating the impact of improvements in physiological capacities (including the effect of different strength and conditioning programmes) on rugby league playing performance are warranted.     

Science of rugby league football: A review

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the science of rugby league football at all levels of competition (i.e. junior, amateur, semi-professional, professional), with special reference to all discipline-specific scientific research performed in rugby league (i.e. physiological, psychological, injury epidemiology, strength and conditioning, performance analysis). Rugby league football is played at junior and senior levels in several countries worldwide. A rugby league team consists of 13 players (6 forwards and 7 backs). The game is played over two 30?–?40 min halves (depending on the standard of competition) separated by a 10?min rest interval. Several studies have documented the physiological capacities and injury rates of rugby league players. More recently, studies have investigated the physiological demands of competition. Interestingly, the physiological capacities of players, the incidence of injury and the physiological demands of competition all increase as the playing standard is increased. Mean blood lactate concentrations of 5.2, 7.2 and 9.1?mmol?·?l^?1 have been reported during competition for amateur, semi-professional and professional rugby league players respectively. Mean heart rates of 152 beats?·?min^?1 (78% of maximal heart rate), 166 beats?·?min^?1 (84% of maximal heart rate) and 172 beats?·?min^?1 (93% of maximal heart rate) have been recorded for amateur, semi-professional and junior elite rugby league players respectively. Skill-based conditioning games have been used to develop the skill and fitness of rugby league players, with mean heart rate and blood lactate responses during these activities almost identical to those obtained during competition. In addition, recent studies have shown that most training injuries are sustained in traditional conditioning activities that involve no skill component (i.e. running without the ball), whereas the incidence of injuries while participating in skill-based conditioning games is low. Collaborative research among the various sport science disciplines is required to identify strategies to reduce the incidence of injury and enhance the performance of rugby league players. An understanding of the movement patterns and physiological demands of different positions at all standards of competition would allow the development of strength and conditioning programmes to meet the precise requirements of these positions. Finally, studies investigating the impact of improvements in physiological capacities (including the effect of different strength and conditioning programmes) on rugby league playing performance are warranted.     

The relative age effect in soccer: a match-related perspective

Asymmetries in the distributions of birth dates in senior professional and youth soccer players have been interpreted as evidence for systematic discrimination against individuals born shortly before the cut-off date in assigning youth to specific age groups. This concept is known as the "relative age effect". The results of a longitudinal study of birth date distritubions of 2757 semi-professional and amateur senior soccer players in Belgium are presented. Records for competitive games were available in official statistics provided by the Royal Belgian Football Association. The chi-square statistic was used to examine differences between observed and expected birth date distributions. Regression analyses indicated a shift of bias when two different start dates were compared. Players born in the early part of the new age band (January to March) were over-represented compared with players born late in the new selection period (October to December). However, players with birthdays at the start of the old selection year (August) were still represented. In a retrospective analysis of 2138 players, variables indicative of match involvement, number of selections for matches, and time played were examined in relation to the relative age effect. The group of semi-professional and amateur senior soccer players born in the first quarter of the selected age band received more playing opportunities. Comparisons of birth date distributions (traditional approach to relative age effect) with match-related variables gave similar, though not entirely consistent, results. However, there were no differences for the mean number of selections and for playing minutes between players born at the start or the end of the selection year. Our findings suggest that match-based variables may provide a more reliable indication of the relative age effect in soccer.     

网球运动员反应判断与自信心的研究

网球技术动作的结果或运动成绩取决于若干因素--运动员对对方技术的感知、判断和运动员对自己动作的控制等环节,这些环节又直接与自信心和行为控制相关.研究专业网球运动员和业余网球运动员在这些环节中的反应时、反应准确度和信心程度.研究结果表明,专业网球运动员和业余网球运动员在反应时方面没有明显差异,但在反应准确度和信心程度上专业运动员显著高于业余运动员;左强势手运动员的反应时、反应准确度和信心程度略胜于右强势手运动员;反应时与反应准确度的相关关系大于反应时与信心程度的相关关系.     

青少年篮球运动员供能特点的研究

采用Wingate各项指标、MAOD值以及VO2max等对篮球运动员的供能特征进行研究,以同年龄段普通中学业余田径队员作为对照,结果为:篮球运动员的PK值大于同年龄段普通中学业余田径队员,说明该项目更多动用的是ATP-CP系统;而MP值及MAOD值无显著性差异,说明乳酸能系统的供能在该项目的能量代谢中并不占主要地位;此外,篮球运动员VO2max低于同年龄段业余田径队员,这可能与项目特点以及评价指标本身有关。     

College basketball governance in the Philippines: actors,stakeholders, issues,and challenges

Collegiate basketball is one of the most popular and most watched forms of amateur sport in the Philippines. Like any sport, collegiate basketball is governed by actors and stakeholders and characterized by issues and challenges. Employing a policy-capacity and synthesis integrative review approach, this article identifies the actors, stakeholders, and institutions of the Philippines two leading college basketball leagues, namely, the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association and analyses the critical issues that confront these leagues in the context of college basketball governance. Issues include an overly powerful board of directors in relation to league commissioners, a lack of accountability mechanisms, alleged piracy of coaches and players, recruitment of players and coaches, the two-year residency rule, and parity in media coverage. Accordingly, the article assesses necessary on-going policy capacities and reforms which college basketball leagues undertake to achieve sound governance.     

Bilateral symmetry and the competitive standard attained in elite and sub-elite sport

Deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry, in a normally symmetric organism, signal a lack of developmental precision. In adult human males, previous studies have shown that symmetry is positively associated with height, body mass and physical performance. In this study, symmetry was measured in adult male athletes from two sports, competing at two different standards. Fifty-two elite and sub-elite Australian male basketballers and soccer players, who regularly competed in the national and state leagues in the 2000-2001 season, participated in the study. All participants underwent anthropometric assessment. Both basketballers and national league athletes in general were significantly taller (P < 0.0001) and heavier (P < 0.001) (and more ectomorphic in the case of basketballers) than their soccer-playing and state league counterparts, respectively. The anthropometric traits were examined further for departures from perfect bilateral symmetry. No significant differences in size-corrected asymmetry were observed between the two competitive standards (P > 0.50), the two sports (P > 0.50) or among any of the competitive standard x sport groups (P > 0.50). Contrary to expectations, we did not find any differences in asymmetry between adult male athletes from two sports (basketball and soccer), competing at two different standards (professional national league and semi-professional state league).     

对优秀男子篮球运动员运动寿命的研究

优秀男子篮球运动员的运动寿命在此特指运动员竞技能力达到高水平以后 ,正常情况下持续到不能再适应其原来参加的高水平重大比赛而退役的一段时间。这段时间的长短受到多方面因素的制约和影响 ,是一个复杂的问题。本文通过对不同时期中外优秀男子篮球运动员年龄的统计发现 :他们的年龄普遍有增长的趋势 ;他们的运动寿命普遍有延长的趋势。我们应该重新认识和划分优秀男子篮球运动员的年龄阶段 ,在注重培养新秀的同时 ,也要充分发挥“老将”的作用。     

篮球运动员弹跳力的生物力学分析

以黑龙江省青年男篮、哈尔滨体育学院男篮为研究对象,采用CybexNorm多关节等速测力仪和运动录像相结合的方法,对运动员的原地纵跳、上步纵跳及下肢等速肌力特征进行了分析。研究发现,专业队和非专业队篮球运动员膝关节伸肌的退让收缩能力、下肢弱侧肌力及下肢左右同名肌存在一定的差异,且这种差异对篮球运动员双脚同时起跳时的弹跳力有相当大的影响。     

Lower extremity muscle function of front row rugby union scrummaging

A rugby scrum’s front row must act uniformly to transfer maximal horizontal force and improve performance. This study investigated the muscle activation patterns of lower extremity muscles in front row forwards during live and machine scrums at professional and amateur levels. Electromyography was collected bilaterally on vastus lateralis, rectus femoris and gastrocnemius muscles of 75 male rugby prop players during live and machine scrums. ANOVAs compared muscle reaction time, rate of change in muscle amplitude and muscle amplitude between groups and conditions. Cross-correlation analysis explored muscle synchronicity. There were significantly greater rates of change in each muscle amplitude in professional players than amateur players. Additionally, there was significantly quicker muscle reaction time in all muscles, and greater amplitude in vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius, during the live scrum vs. machine condition. The professional props produced more synchronised muscle activation than amateur players and all players produced more synchronised muscle activation against the scrum machine vs. live scrummage. The results indicate a higher skill proficiency and muscle synchronicity in professional players. While scrum machine training is ideally suited for functional muscle strengthening during practice, to truly simulate the requirements of the scrum, training should incorporate the live situation as much as possible.     

浅析影响我国优秀篮球运动员运动寿命的因素

当今世界体坛竞争越来越激烈,优秀竞技运动员的培养一直被认为是各国发展竞技体育的重要任务之一,加之现代社会越来越追求经济效益的最大化,所以在竞技运动体育中如何延长优秀竞技运动员的运动寿命、追求最大训练效益,是当前我国体育主管部门亟待解决的问题.本文运用文献资料、数理统计等研究方法,通过对中外优秀篮球运动员的运动寿命以及参加第29界奥运会男篮前三名队伍和中国队队员的年龄情况比较分析得出结论,并指出影响我国优秀篮球运动员运动寿命的因素.     

Foreign players and competitive balance in Greek basketball and handball championships

One of the key issues of team sport championships is competitive balance. One of the dimensions of competitive balance is concerned with the differences in sporting capabilities of teams within a season. The aim of this study is to evaluate competitive balance in Greek basketball and handball championships in relation to the presence and number of foreign players. The examined periods are from 1965–1966 to 2012–2013 (n = 47) for basketball and from 1983–1984 to 2012–2013 (n = 30) for handball. Foreign players appeared in basketball starting from 1988 while in handball from 1999. For each season and sport, two global and three special indices that capture competitive balance in the multileveled championship structure were calculated. Results showed that the number of foreign players per team is dependent on the country's macroeconomic status and in its turn improves the overall competitiveness, as well as competitiveness at the relegation level. In handball foreign players appeared later and in lesser numbers than in basketball. The increase in competitiveness of the national basketball league as a result of the increase in numbers of foreign players across all teams was followed by an upsurge in the quality, performance and achievements of the top teams participating in the European competitions.     

The type,amount, frequency and timing of dietary supplement use by elite players in the First Spanish Basketball League

The aims of this study were to determine the type, frequency and amount of dietary supplement consumption among a group of professional basketball players. The type, amount and specific timing of supplement use were recorded by 55 professional basketball players from seven different teams of the First Spanish Basketball League. Most participants (58%) consumed dietary supplements. Multivitamins and vitamins were the most frequently used supplements among the athletes (50.9%), followed by sport drinks (21.8%), miscellaneous supplements (21.8%), amino acids (14.5%), proteins (12.7%) and carbohydrates (12.7%). The average daily dietary supplement was one capsule of multivitamins, one capsule of antioxidant vitamins, 0.2-1.0 g vitamin C, 10.3 g protein, 1.9 g amino acids, 16.2 g carbohydrates and 377 ml of a commercial sport drink. Although the proportion of participants who consumed dietary supplements before, during and immediately after exercise was 25.4%, 16.3% and 7.3% respectively, only a few consumed a potentially ergogenic supplement at these times. It would appear unlikely that the type or amount of dietary supplements consumed had a beneficial effect on the physical performance of these professional basketball players, with the possible exception of antioxidant vitamins and the commercial sport drinks.     

The type,amount, frequency and timing of dietary supplement use by elite players in the First Spanish Basketball League

The aims of this study were to determine the type, frequency and amount of dietary supplement consumption among a group of professional basketball players. The type, amount and specific timing of supplement use were recorded by 55 professional basketball players from seven different teams of the First Spanish Basketball League. Most participants (58%) consumed dietary supplements. Multivitamins and vitamins were the most frequently used supplements among the athletes (50.9%), followed by sport drinks (21.8%), miscellaneous supplements (21.8%), amino acids (14.5%), proteins (12.7%) and carbohydrates (12.7%). The average daily dietary supplement was one capsule of multivitamins, one capsule of antioxidant vitamins, 0.2-1.0 g vitamin C, 10.3 g protein, 1.9 g amino acids, 16.2 g carbohydrates and 377 ml of a commercial sport drink. Although the proportion of participants who consumed dietary supplements before, during and immediately after exercise was 25.4%, 16.3% and 7.3% respectively, only a few consumed a potentially ergogenic supplement at these times. It would appear unlikely that the type or amount of dietary supplements consumed had a beneficial effect on the physical performance of these professional basketball players, with the possible exception of antioxidant vitamins and the commercial sport drinks.     

论篮球运动员的基本功

通过研究篮球运动基本功的含义和作用,阐述了基本功对篮球运动员的重要性,并提出训练运动员基本功的方法和手段,为各级教练员提供参考.