Physiological Responses of Youth Players During Wheelchair Basketball Games

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document physiological responses that result from participation in youth wheelchair basketball (WCB) games. Each participant (4 males, 2 females, mean age = 15.2 y, SD= 1.8 y) completed a peak aerobic capacity upper-body cycle ergometer test until fatigue. Additionally, each participant competed in two regular season youth WCB games while wearing a Polar Pro Team System heart rate (HR) monitor. During competition, average HR, peak heart rate (HRpeak), playing intensity, total distance covered, training load score, and caloric expenditure were recorded. Results from the study indicated a HR mean = 140.8 b-min-1, SD = 19.8 b·min-1, HRpeak mean = 188.9 b·min -1, SD= 15.8 b-min-1, and mean = 83.3%, SD = 13.7% level of exercise intensity from participation in the two games. Additionally, participation in WCB games revealed that players traversed mean= 909.4 meters, SD= 230.4 meters, achieved a training load score mean = 120.3, SD= 65.2, and expended mean = 718.2 calories, SD = 184.5 calories, across the two games. In conclusion, participation by adolescents in a WCB game meets the physiological demands needed to achieve health-related fitness benefits established by both the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.