Kinesiology, Vol. 57 No. 2, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.26582/k.57.2.6
Inertial movement demands comparison between winning and losing quarters in youth basketball players
Hugo Salazar
; Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Franc Garcia
; Institut Nacional d’Educació Física de Catalunya (INEFC), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Sports Performance Area, Futbol Club Barcelona,Barcelona, Spain
*
Roberto Molina
orcid.org/0009-0008-0192-6186
; Faculty of Arts and Education. University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
Enrique Alonso Perez-Chao
orcid.org/0000-0002-8678-8702
; Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain; Faculty of Sports Science, European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Ming Li
; Athletic Performance and Data Science Laboratory (APDS), Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Shaoliang Zhang
orcid.org/0000-0002-0543-7135
; Athletic Performance and Data Science Laboratory (APDS), Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to compare the relative external load demands of youth male basketball players between winning and losing quarters and across quarters characterized by different score differentials (close, balanced, and unbalanced). Data were collected from 11 male basketball players Under 18 on the same team during 21 official games over two competitive seasons. External load demands of each quarter were recorded using microsensors to derive values for the following variables: PlayerLoad (PL), frequency of total and high-intensity accelerations (ACC), jumps, decelerations (DEC), changes of direction (COD), and total inertial movement analysis (IMA) events combined. K-means clustering was applied to the score-differential values to derive three data-driven categories (close, balanced, and unbalanced). Subsequent comparisons between winning and losing quarters and across these score-differential categories under winning or losing quarters were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Standardized Cohen’s effect sizes were computed to quantify the magnitude of all pairwise contrasts. For all variables, the mixed-effects models showed no statistically significant differences between winning and losing quarters (all p > 0.05). Within losing quarters, small but statistically significant differences were found between the close and balanced quarters for total IMA (p < 0.001, d = 0.36) and COD (p < 0.001, d = 0.35). No significant differences were observed across scoredifferential categories within the winning quarters (all p > 0.05). Overall, these results indicate that neither quarter outcome nor score margin substantially affects total or high-intensity external load, highlighting the need for future research to examine the influence of other contextual factors—such as opponent quality and game location—on physical demands in youth basketball players.
Keywords
basketball; accelerometer; team sport; match load; youth players
Hrčak ID:
340598
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2025.
Visits: 680 *