Construct Validity and Reliability of a New Basketball Multidirectional Reactive Repeated Sprint Test

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Assessing physical performance in athletes requires valid and reliable testing methods.
• Multidirectional repeated sprint ability is crucial for basketball performance.
• Existing tests may not fully capture the reactive and multidirectional demands of basketball.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the construct validity and reliability of a novel reactive multidirectional repeated sprinting test (RRSA_5COD) in male basketball players.
• To determine if the RRSA_5COD can discriminate between different skill levels (professional vs. semi-professional).

Main Methods:

• Forty male basketball players (20 professional, 20 semi-professional) participated.
• Participants completed various physical fitness tests, including the RRSA_5COD, Yo-YoIR1, SJ, CMJ, DJ, and 20-m sprint.
• Key metrics assessed included reaction time, movement time, total time, best time, fatigue index, heart rate, RPE, and blood lactate.

Main Results:

• The RRSA_5COD demonstrated high reliability, with most variables showing an ICC > 0.80.
• The test showed a significant difference in total time, favoring the RRSA_5COD over the planned test and the professional group over the semi-professional group.
• Professional players exhibited significantly better performance across all assessed physical fitness tests.

Conclusions:

• The RRSA_5COD is a reliable and valid tool for assessing basketball players.
• The test effectively discriminates between professional and semi-professional male basketball players based on performance.
• Findings support the use of RRSA_5COD in talent identification and performance monitoring in basketball.