Handgrip strength and aerobic fitness of young basketball players

Abstract

Objective: To compare athletic performance, assessed by handgrip strength (MPS), and aerobic fitness with national and international benchmarks.

Methodology: A descriptive, comparative study was conducted with 10 basketball players from a club in Lambayeque, Peru. Weight and height were assessed, and maturity status was calculated using a regression equation. The MPS of the right and left hands was assessed in kg. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the Lager test (20-m shuttle run).

Results: The young people studied had an average age of 13.9 ± 0.72 years, weight of 60.7 ± 9.96 kg, and height of 163.1 ± 5.54 cm. Regarding PMF, they showed similar results to the reference group at 13 and 14 years of age, but at 15 years of age, they showed a significant decrease, being surpassed by more than 7 kg by the reference group. In contrast, aerobic fitness (VO?max) was consistently higher in basketball players, with differences ranging from 3.6 to 11.1 mL/kg/min depending on age.

Conclusion: The results of the study showed that young basketball players had greater aerobic fitness compared to the reference group; however, they showed lower PMF levels at 15 years of age, highlighting the need to strengthen the muscular strength component during physical preparation.