The biomechanical mechanism of muscle strength and explosive power enhancement in college basketball training

Abstract

Muscle strength and explosive power (EP) are essential attributes for basketball players, enabling them to perform jumping, sprinting, and speed or velocity changes. This research investigated the biomechanical mechanisms of EP and muscle strength enhancement in college basketball players by evaluating the effects of RT, PT, and combined (RT + PT) training methods. Two hundred and fifty male college basketball players were randomly allocated to four categories: G1 (Control), G2 (RT), G3 (PT), and G4 (RT + PT). The intervention lasted 8 weeks with training sessions occurring twice per week. The RT group performed resistance exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts), the PT group conducted plyometric exercises (e.g., jump squats, box jumps), and the RT + PT group combined both approaches with one session of RT and one session of PT each week. The Control group did not engage in any structured training. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included VJH, 1RM squat strength, 10-meter sprint time (TST), SLHD, and IAT, with limb symmetry assessed using the symmetry angle. All intervention groups (RT, PT, RT + PT) showed significant improvements in VJH, 1RM squat strength, TST, SLHD, and IAT performance (p < 0.05) compared to the Control group. However, no significant differences were observed between the RT, PT, and RT + PT groups regarding performance gains. The findings suggest that RT, either alone or combined with plyometric training, should be prioritized to optimize strength, power, and limb coordination in basketball players.