The specificity of force and power of leg muscle in the female basketball player

Abstract

    Basketball player require certain physical fitness in many aspects in order to perform various types of movements such as dashing and jumping. The motions of the footwork with rapid changes in speed and direction, which is observed in a game, is characterized by the combination of eccentric and concentric movements (Stretch-shortening cycle movement: SSCM). The SSCM has two types: low-tension-type and high-tension-type. It is necessary to take notice of SSCM type to study the force and power of the lower leg muscle. In this research, we chose the vertical jump as an evaluation movement of the low-level SSCM, and the drop jump as of the high-level one. Since this study was to clarify the characteristics of the force and power with female basketball players, we take some female gymnasts, throwers (track and field), and swimmers as the subjects for comparison. Results were summarized as follows ;

1. There was no clear distinction in the levels of the force and power of lower leg muscles at low-level SSCM

2. At high level SSCM, basketball players' force and power of lower leg muscle is larger than the ones of swimmers, and smaller than gymnasts and throwers. This might be caused by the effects of the force and power level which is needed in each speciality.

3. At high level SSCM, basketball player' force is good in the strength-type, and their power is good in the speed-type.