Physical performance of wheelchair basketball athletes with Paralympic projection of the Biobío-Chile region: a transversal study

Abstract

The present study aimed to characterize, compare, and correlate the physical performance variables according to sport class of elite wheelchair basketball athletes from the Biobío-Chile region at the beginning of the preparatory period. Twenty-two male athletes from BSR with physical disabilities participated in national tournaments. The athletes were grouped according to sport class: high points - PA (3.0 to 4.5) and low points - PB (1.0 to 2.5). Muscle power was evaluated by means of the Medicine Ball Throw (LBM), the acceleration / propulsion capacity and maximum speed in the wheelchair by means of the 20m Speed ​​test (T20m), the handling of the wheelchair without and with ball control through the Eight and Eight-ball Tests and aerobic power with the continuous and incremental Octagon Multistage Fitness Test (OMFT). No statistical difference was observed for the motor performance variables between the PB and PA groups (p <.05). On the other hand, the LBM presented significant relationships with T20m (r = -.66, p = .001) and the Eight test (r = .55, p = .015), the T20m with the Eight test (r = -.73, p = .000) and, the OMFT with the Eight (r = .58, p = .018) and Eight-ball (r = .73, p = .001) tests. In conclusion, the sports class, which is associated with the muscular functionality of the athletes, did not show differences with the performance of the investigated athletes.