Ultrasound Measurements and Physical Fitness of Elite Youth Basketball Players

Abstract

The countermovement jump, the V-cut test, the muscle thickness and the adjacent subcutaneous fat thickness of the gastrocnemius medialis and rectus femoris are important physiological indicators for success in basketball. The aims of this study were to evaluate between-age-category and between-gender differences in these indicators and examine the relationships between physical tests and ultrasound measurements. The measurements were recorded in a sample of 131 elite basketball players (66 males) who played in three age-categories (U14, U16, or U18). We performed two-way analysis of covariance tests and age-adjusted partial correlation analyses. U16 and U18 males showed better performance in the countermovement jump and V-cut tests and lower adjacent subcutaneous fat thickness of the gastrocnemius medialis and rectus femoris compared to the U14 males (p≤.001) and to age-category equivalent female players (p≤.001). Comparisons between the age categories in females did not show significant differences in any of the study variables. Adjacent subcutaneous fat thickness of the gastrocnemius medialis explained 22.3% of the variation for the countermovement jump result and 12.9% of the variation for the V-cut result in males (p<.01). This study is the first to show the association and predictive role of subcutaneous fat thickness measured by ultrasound in physical performance of male and female elite youth basketball players.

Key words

basketball - countermovement jump - muscle thickness - subcutaneous fat - ultrasound - V-cut

^‡ These authors equally contributed to this work

Publication History

Received: 12 September 2022

Accepted: 29 November 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
29 November 2022

Article published online:
17 March 2023

• References

• 1 Ziv G, Lidor R. Physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male basketball players. Sports Med 2009; 39: 547-568 DOI: 10.2165/00007256-200939070-00003.
• 2 Pino-Ortega J, Rojas-Valverde D, Gómez-Carmona CD. et al. Training design, performance analysis, and talent identification – a systematic review about the most relevant variables through the principal component analysis in soccer, basketball, and rugby. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18: 2642 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052642.
• 3 Pliauga V, Kamandulis S, Dargevičiūtė G. et al. The effect of a simulated basketball game on players’ sprint and jump performance, temperature and muscle damage. J Hum Kinet 2015; 46: 167-175 DOI: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0045.
• 4 Cherni Y, Hammami M, Jelid MC. et al. Neuromuscular adaptations and enhancement of physical performance in female basketball players after 8 weeks of plyometric training. Front Physiol 2020; 11: 588787 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.588787.
• 5 Stojanović E, Stojiljković N, Scanlan AT. et al. The activity demands and physiological responses encountered during basketball match-play: A systematic review. Sports Med 2018; 48: 111-135 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0794-z.
• 6 Taylor JB, Wright AA, Dischiavi SL. et al. Activity demands during multi-directional team sports: a systematic review. Sports Med 2017; 47: 2533-2551 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0772-5.
• 7 Kozinc Ž, Žitnik J, Smajla D. et al. The difference between squat jump and countermovement jump in 770 male and female participants from different sports. Eur J Sport Sci 2022; 22: 985-993 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1936654.
• 8 Kozinc Ž, Šarabon N. Bilateral deficit in countermovement jump and its association with change of direction performance in basketball and tennis players. Sports Biomech 2021; Online ahead of print DOI: 10.1080/14763141.2021.1942965.
• 9 Bouteraa I, Negra Y, Shephard RJ. et al. Effects of combined balance and plyometric training on athletic performance in female basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 2020; 34: 1967-1973 DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002546.
• 10 Gonzalo-Skok O, Sánchez-Sabaté J, Izquierdo-Lupón L. et al. Influence of force-vector and force application plyometric training in young elite basketball players. Eur J Sport Sci 2019; 19: 305-314 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1502357.
• 11 Rice PE, Goodman CL, Capps CR. et al. Force- and power-time curve comparison during jumping between strength-matched male and female basketball players. Eur J Sport Sci 2017; 17: 286-293 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2016.1236840.
• 12 Drinkwater EJ, Hopkins WG, McKenna MJ. et al. Modelling age and secular differences in fitness between basketball players. J Sports Sci 2007; 25: 869-878 DOI: 10.1080/02640410600907870.
• 13 Kellis S, Tsitskaris G, Nikopoulou M. et al. The evaluation of jumping ability of male and female basketball players according to their chronological age and major leagues. J Strength Cond Res 1999; 13: 40-46 DOI: 10.1519/00124278-199902000-00008.
• 14 Gonzalo-Skok O, Tous-Fajardo J, Suarez-Arrones L. et al. Validity of the V-cut test for young basketball players. Int J Sports Med 2015; 36: 893-899 DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1554635.
• 15 Baena-Raya A, Jiménez-Reyes P, Romea ES. et al. Gender-specific association of the sprint mechanical properties with change of direction performance in basketball. J Strength Cond Res 2022; 36: 2868-2874 DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003974.
• 16 Hoffman J. Norms for Fitness, Performance, and Health. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2006
• 17 Cormie P, McGuigan MR, Newton RU. Developing maximal neuromuscular power: part 2 – training considerations for improving maximal power production. Sports Med 2011; 41: 125-146 DOI: 10.2165/11538500-000000000-00000.
• 18 Mangine GT, Fukuda DH, LaMonica MB. et al. Influence of gender and muscle architecture asymmetry on jump and sprint performance. J Sports Sci Med 2014; 13: 904-911
• 19 Sekine Y, Hirose N. Cross-sectional comparison of age-related changes in the quadriceps femoris in Japanese basketball players. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2017; 32 /j/ijamh.2020.32.issue-2/ijamh-2017-0117/ijamh-2017-0117.xml. 10.1515/ijamh-2017-0117
• 20 Garcia-Gil M, Torres-Unda J, Esain I. et al. Anthropometric parameters, age, and agility as performance predictors in elite female basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 2018; 32: 1723-1730 DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002043.
• 21 Núñez M, Nuñez E, Moreno JM. et al. Quadriceps muscle characteristics and subcutaneous fat assessed by ultrasound and relationship with function in patients with knee osteoarthritis awaiting knee arthroplasty. J Clin Orthop Trauma 2019; 10: 102-106 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcot.2017.11.014.
• 22 Müller W, Fürhapter-Rieger A, Ahammer H. et al. Relative body weight and standardised brightness-mode ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous fat in athletes: An international multicentre reliability study, under the auspices of the IOC medical commission. Sports Med 2020; 50: 597-614 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-019-01192-9.
• 23 Agyapong-Badu S, Warner M, Samuel D. et al. Anterior thigh composition measured using ultrasound imaging to quantify relative thickness of muscle and non-contractile tissue: a potential biomarker for musculoskeletal health. Physiol Meas 2014; 35: 2165-2176 DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/35/10/2165.
• 24 Störchle P, Müller W, Sengeis M. et al. Standardized ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous fat patterning: High reliability and accuracy in groups ranging from lean to obese. Ultrasound Med Biol 2017; 43: 427-438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2016.09.014.
• 25 Akkoc O, Caliskan E, Bayramoglu Z. Effects of passive muscle stiffness measured by shear wave elastography, muscle thickness, and body mass index on athletic performance in adolescent female basketball players. Med Ultrason 2018; 20: 170-176 DOI: 10.11152/mu-1336.
• 26 Spiteri T, Newton RU, Nimphius S. Neuromuscular strategies contributing to faster multidirectional agility performance. Electromyogr Kinesiol 2015; 25: 629-636 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2015.04.009.
• 27 May S, Locke S, Kingsley M. Gastrocnemius muscle architecture in elite basketballers and cyclists: a cross-sectional cohort study. Front Sports Act Living 2021; 3: 768846 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.768846.
• 28 Sekine Y, Hoshikawa S, Hirose N. Longitudinal age-related morphological and physiological changes in adolescent male basketball players. J Sports Sci Med 2019; 18: 751-757
• 29 Pineau J-C, Bouslah M. Prediction of body fat in male athletes from ultrasound and anthropometric measurements versus DXA. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2020; 60: 251-256 DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09985-7.
• 30 Muscle and Adjacent Subcutaneous fat Thicknesses of the Gastrocnemius Medialis and Rectus Femoris and the Relationship with Countermovement Jump and V-cut test Performance in Young Elite Basketball Players. 2022; In Internet: https://www.researchsquare.com; Stand: 12.09.2022
• 31 Schindelin J, Arganda-Carreras I, Frise E. et al. Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis. Nat Methods 2012; 9: 676-682 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2019.
• 32 McMaster DT, Gill N, Cronin J. et al. A brief review of strength and ballistic assessment methodologies in sport. Sports Med 2014; 44: 603-623 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-014-0145-2.
• 33 Markovic G, Dizdar D, Jukic I. et al. Reliability and factorial validity of squat and countermovement jump tests. J Strength Cond Res 2004; 18: 551-555 DOI: 10.1519/1533-4287(2004)18<551:RAFVOS>2.0.CO;2.
• 34 Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates; 1988
• 35 Hopkins WG, Marshall SW, Batterham AM. et al. Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 3-13 DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31818cb278.
• 36 Rowland TW. Developmental Exercise Physiology. Human Kinetics. 1996
• 37 Drinkwater EJ, Pyne DB, McKenna MJ. Design and interpretation of anthropometric and fitness testing of basketball players. Sports Med 2008; 38: 565-578 DOI: 10.2165/00007256-200838070-00004.
• 38 Torres-Unda J, Zarrazquin I, Gil J. et al. Anthropometric, physiological and maturational characteristics in selected elite and non-elite male adolescent basketball players. J Sports Sci 2013; 31: 196-203 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2012.725133.
• 39 Towlson C, Salter J, Ade JD. et al. Maturity-associated considerations for training load, injury risk, and physical performance in youth soccer: One size does not fit all. J Sport Health Sci 2021; 10: 403-412 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.09.003.
• 40 Torres-Unda J, Zarrazquin I, Gravina L. et al. Basketball performance is related to maturity and relative age in elite adolescent players. J Strength Cond Res 2016; 30: 1325-1332 DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001224.
• 41 Taylor MJD, Cohen D, Voss C. et al. Vertical jumping and leg power normative data for English school children aged 10-15 years. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 867-872 DOI: 10.1080/02640411003770212.
• 42 Alejandro V, Santiago S, Gerardo VJ. et al. Anthropometric characteristics of spanish professional basketball players. J Hum Kinet 2015; 46: 99-106 DOI: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0038.
• 43 Viitasalo JT. Evaluation of explosive strength for young and adult athletes. Res Q Exerc Sport 1988; 59: 9-13 DOI: 10.1080/02701367.1988.10605467.
• 44 Ramirez-Campillo R, Garcia-Hermoso A, Moran J, et al. The effects of plyometric jump training on physical fitness attributes in basketball players: A meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci 2022; 11: 656–670. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.12.005
• 45 Paoli A, Casolo A, Saoncella M. et al. Effect of an endurance and strength mixed circuit training on regional fat thickness: The quest for the “spot reduction”. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18: 3845 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073845.
• 46 Müller W, Horn M, Fürhapter-Rieger A. et al. Body composition in sport: a comparison of a novel ultrasound imaging technique to measure subcutaneous fat tissue compared with skinfold measurement. Br J Sports Med 2013; 47: 1028-1035 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092232.
• 47 Bellisari A, Roche AF, Siervogel RM. Reliability of B-mode ultrasonic measurements of subcutaneous adipose tissue and intra-abdominal depth: comparisons with skinfold thicknesses. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1993; 17: 475–480
• 48 Gomes AC, Landers GJ, Binnie MJ. et al. Body composition assessment in athletes: Comparison of a novel ultrasound technique to traditional skinfold measures and criterion DXA measure. J Sci Med Sport 2020; 23: 1006-1010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.03.014.
• 49 Malina RM, Bouchard C, Bar-Or O. Growth, Maturation, and Physical Activity. Human Kinetics. 2004
• 50 Kruschitz R, Wallner-Liebmann SJ, Hamlin MJ. et al. Detecting body fat-A weighty problem BMI versus subcutaneous fat patterns in athletes and non-athletes. PLoS One 2013; 8: e72002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072002.
• 51 Eisenmann JC, Malina RM. Age-related changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue of adolescent distance runners and association with blood lipoproteins. Ann Hum Biol 2002; 29: 389-397 DOI: 10.1080/03014460110092252.
• 52 Kelso A, Trájer E, Machus K. et al. Assessment of subcutaneous adipose tissue using ultrasound in highly trained junior rowers. Eur J Sport Sci 2017; 17: 576-585 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2016.1277788.
• 53 Sengeis M, Müller W, Störchle P. et al. Body weight and subcutaneous fat patterning in elite judokas. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2019; 29: 1774-1788 DOI: 10.1111/sms.13508.
• 54 Müller W, Lohman TG, Stewart AD. et al. Subcutaneous fat patterning in athletes: selection of appropriate sites and standardisation of a novel ultrasound measurement technique: ad hoc working group on body composition, health and performance, under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission. Br J Sports Med 2016; 50: 45-54 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095641.
• 55 Gryko K, Stastny P, Kopiczko A. et al. Can anthropometric variables and maturation predict the playing position in youth basketball players?. J Hum Kinet 2019; 69: 109-123 DOI: 10.2478/hukin-2019-0005.
• 56 Ikebukuro T, Kubo K, Okada J. et al. The relationship between muscle thickness in the lower limbs and competition performance in weightlifters and sprinters. Jpn J Phys Fit Sports Med 2011; 60: 401-411 DOI: 10.7600/jspfsm.60.401.
• 57 Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. et al. Morphological and mechanical properties of muscle and tendon in highly trained sprinters. J Appl Biomech 2011; 27: 336-344 DOI: 10.1123/jab.27.4.336.
• 58 Abe T, Loenneke JP, Thiebaud RS. Morphological and functional relationships with ultrasound measured muscle thickness of the lower extremity: a brief review. Ultrasound 2015; 23: 166-173 DOI: 10.1177/1742271X15587599.
• 59 Miyatani M, Kanehisa H, Ito M. et al. The accuracy of volume estimates using ultrasound muscle thickness measurements in different muscle groups. Eur J Appl Physiol 2004; 91: 264-272 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-003-0974-4.
• 60 Maughan RJ, Watson JS, Weir J. Strength and cross-sectional area of human skeletal muscle. J Physiol 1983; 338: 37-49 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1983.sp014658.
• 61 Wells AJ, Fukuda DH, Hoffman JR. et al. Vastus lateralis exhibits non-homogenous adaptation to resistance training. Muscle Nerve 2014; 50: 785-793 DOI: 10.1002/mus.24222.