Assessing the Relationship and Convergent Validity of Player Load and Dynamic Stress Load in Basketball: A...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Basketball Performance Analysis

Background:

• Understanding external load is crucial for optimizing training and preventing injuries in basketball.
• Player Load and dynamic stress load (DSL) are common metrics used to quantify physical demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between Player Load and DSL in adolescent basketball players.
• To evaluate the convergent validity of Player Load and DSL with other external load parameters.
• To develop regression models explaining the importance of external load metrics.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen male basketball players (<18 years) were monitored using a local positioning system with inertial microsensors.
• Accelerometer-derived metrics including Player Load and DSL were analyzed during the 2023-24 season.

Main Results:

• Player Load and DSL exhibited a very large correlation (rm_corr = .781).
• Player Load showed almost perfect correlation with total distance (.967) and large correlations with high-speed running and acceleration/deceleration distances.
• Dynamic stress load (DSL) demonstrated large correlations with total distance and high-speed running, but moderate correlations with acceleration/deceleration distances.

Conclusions:

• Player Load and DSL are correlated but not interchangeable for quantifying external load in basketball.
• Player Load is a robust indicator, strongly correlating with total distance and step count.
• DSL shows moderate correlations with various metrics, indicating it captures different aspects of physical demand.