(4) COMPARISON OF WORKLOAD AND INTENSITY DURING PRE-SEASON AND IN-SEASON IN D1 FEMALE BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Purpose:  This study aimed to compare workload and intensity across pre-season and in-season practices and games in female college basketball players. 

Methods:  Five female D1 basketball players volunteered and completed the study during the 2023-2024 season. The participants were starters who played the highest number of minutes during the games. Workload (WL) and intensity (WL/min) were measured during two six-week time periods: pre-season (PS) and in-season (IS) using inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology at a sampling frequency of 10 Hz during each practice and game. Workload represented a total volume of work produced and was determined using a proprietary algorithm calculation as the sum of the accelerations across all three planes (x, y, z). A sports vest was worn to secure the IMU sensor between the scapula. Sessions were monitored live to control the recording of the data collected. For practices data collection was paused between drills, during breaks, and during extended periods of inactivity. Data was collected during brief inactivity due to instructions from coach and rotations out of drill. During games, data collection was paused during time outs, between quarters, half-time, and any extended period when play was stopped. Following the sessions, the sensors were connected to a laptop and the data was downloaded to a cloud database. Total weekly WL was calculated from sum of the average daily WL while the weekly average WL/min was reported. A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to determine overall mean differences among the time periods and the number of weeks, for both WL and WL/min. Partial eta squared was used to determine effect size for each statistical test. All statistical significance was defined as p < .05. 

Results:  A significantly higher WL was observed in the PS period compared to the IS period, p = .007. Total WL differed across weeks, p = .007, with the trend indicating a decrease in WL from weeks 1 through week 6, with the exception of the sixth week of the PS, when WL increased.  For WL/min, a significantly higher average WL/min was observed in the IS period compared to the PS period, p = .008. Mean WL/min also differed across weeks, p = .003, with the trend indicating a decrease in mean WL/min from weeks 1 through week 3 followed by an increase at week 4, and then decreasing through week 6. For WL and WL/min, no significant interactions between time periods and weeks were found.

Conclusions:  These findings demonstrate a higher WL during the PS with lower WL/min executed in an undulated format. WL/min was greater IS compared to PS as games replaced practices and practice sessions were decreased to allow for more recovery time. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: As the IS approaches, increasing WL/min may be important to physically prepare athletes for the demands of the competitive season. With an increase in WL/min during the IS, reducing WL may be essential to optimize recovery.

Acknowledgements: None