ACUTE EFFECTS OF TRAINING LOADS ON FORCE PLATE METRICS

Abstract

Basketball athletes must balance intense training demands with recovery to maintain peak performance while minimizing fatigue-related injuries. This thesis examines the acute effects of basketball practice on countermovement jump (CMJ) metrics, utilizing portable force plates to assess jump performance and inertial measurement units (IMUs) to quantify practice volume. Fourteen male athletes from McMaster University's basketball team participated, with data collected pre- and post-practice over a ten-week period. Results revealed significant decreases in performance output metrics, such as jump height and modified reactive strength index (mRSI), following practice. Additionally, phase-specific temporal metrics, including braking phase duration, increased, while driver metrics, such as eccentric mean braking force and eccentric rate of force development, decreased, indicating altered neuromuscular strategies due to fatigue. However, these changes were not significantly associated with practice volume measured by IMUs, suggesting substantial individual variability in fatigue responses. These findings demonstrate the sensitivity of CMJ metrics to acute fatigue, particularly phase-specific force-time components, which provide deeper insights into neuromuscular adaptations beyond performance output alone. While CMJ metrics effectively capture fatigue-related changes, the magnitude of these changes does not exhibit a clear relationship to practice load, highlighting the complexity of monitoring fatigue responses in team sport settings. This work advances understanding of player fatigue and the practical application of force plate technology in sports science to inform individualized training and recovery strategies.