“The Competitive Season and Off-Season”: Preliminary Research concerning the Sport-Specific Performance, Stress, and Sleep in Elite Male Adolescent Basketball Athletes

Chun-Chung Chou, Fei-Ti Wang, Hsin-Hung Wu, Shiow-Chwen Tsai, Chung-Yu Chen, Jeffrey R. Bernard, Yu-Chi Kuo and Yi-Hung Liao
Additional contact information
Chun-Chung Chou: Physical Education Office, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
Fei-Ti Wang: Department of Exercise and Health Science, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 11219, Taiwan
Hsin-Hung Wu: Department of Exercise and Health Science, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 11219, Taiwan
Shiow-Chwen Tsai: Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei 11153, Taiwan
Chung-Yu Chen: Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei 11153, Taiwan
Jeffrey R. Bernard: Department of Kinesiology and Public Health Promotion, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 95382, USA
Yu-Chi Kuo: Department of Exercise and Health Science, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 11219, Taiwan
Yi-Hung Liao: Department of Exercise and Health Science, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 11219, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Through scholastic sports programs, adolescent athletes compete to represent their communities. However, few studies investigate the changes in physiological and mental profiles during varied sport periodization among this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the changes in sports performance and stress-related biomarkers between the competitive season (CS) and off-season (OS) in elite adolescent basketball players. Method: Nine elite Division I male basketball players (age: 15–18 years. old) participated in this study. Basketball-specific performance, salivary dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S)/cortisol levels, mood state, and sleep quality were all accessed during the CS and OS periods. Results: The training load during OS was 26.0% lower than CS (p = 0.001). Muscle mass, aerobic capacity, 10 m sprint, and Abalakov jump (AJ) power during OS were greater than that during CS (+2.2–9.8%, p < 0.05), but planned agility was greater during CS (p = 0.003). The salivary DHEA-S/cortisol was greater during CS than during OS (p = 0.039). The overall mood state and sleep quality did not differ between periods, but the POMS-tension was higher during CS (p = 0.005). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that muscle mass, aerobic capacity, peak AJ power, and 10 m sprint performance, but not planned agility, were greater during OS compared to CS among elite adolescent basketball players. Furthermore, the stress-related responses reflected by the D/C ratio and mood tension were relatively lower during the OS in these athletes. Thus, this study suggests that coaches and sport science professionals should closely monitor athletes’ training states across varied training/competition periods to better react to modifying training or recovery plans.

Keywords: dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S); cortisol; sleep quality; mood state; change of direction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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