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Background: Fatigue demonstrated by decreasing performance seems to occur towards the ends of periods of matches and can lead to a win or loss of the match. Objective: This study aimed to assess the influence of fatigue on internal and external load using game-based drills in junior and adult male basketball players. Methods: A total of 50 elite basketball players participated in this study. Every participant was monitored by the Team Pro Polar system to find out heart rate and activity demands during a game-based drill. Mixed analysis of variance 2 x 4 was used. Results: Significant interactions between age category and playing quarter were found for distance covered (p = .001, η²p = .25). Significant interactions between age category and playing quarter were found for relative time in zone 3 (running, p = .013, η²p = .25) and zone 4 (high-intensity running, p = .004, η²p = .34). When comparing the last three minutes of quarters, a significant main effect was found for playing quarter, when the distance covered (p = .001, η²p = .47) significantly decreased. A significant main effect was found for playing quarter, whereby relative time spent in zone 3 (p = .012, η²p = .09; quarter 1 vs. 4: p = .044) significantly increased, and in zone 4 decreased (p = .001, η²p = .29, moderate effect; quarter 1 vs. 4: p = .010). When comparing heart rate and activity demands during the last three minutes of playing quarters, the significant main effect for the age category was found in distance covered (p = .004, η²p = .27). It was greater in adult male players compared to junior players. Conclusions: The fatigue affects the distance covered, and intensity of activity demands during the last three minutes of quarters, but not the heart rate response of players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Basketball players are among the players with a great risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury due to the high-intensity manoeuvres which have been identified as very common factors preceding this injury. Objective: This study aimed to assess differences in leg stiffness and reactive strength throughout a competitive season in youth basketball players and to assess the effect of age and performance level on these variables. Methods: The research study involved a total of 48 male basketball players from the age group U14 and U16 played the first and second highest league in Czech Republic. Reactive strength index (RSI) and leg stiffness were measured at the beginning of the season, mid-season, and at the end of the season. Analysis of Variance for repeated measures was used to identify the influence of age, season phases, and levels of performance to monitored variables. Results: The results showed significant changes among season phases in RSI (F = 4.48, p = .014) and relative leg stiffness (F = 7.17, p = .002) in observed players, however significantly higher values at the end of the season than at its beginning were found in RSI only (p = .014). Differences between subgroups with different levels of performance were not significant in both categories as well as age differences. Conclusions: The current study did not point-out to significant changes among season phases in reactive strength and leg stiffness in adolescent basketball players. The study did not confirm that reactive strength and leg stiffness is gradually improving during adolescence and suggestion that level of performance positively influences reactive strength and leg stiffness was confirmed only in the case of reactive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]