Pupillometry as a new window to player fatigue? A glimpse inside the eyes of a Euro Cup Women's Basketball team.

A rapidly emerging area of interest in high-pressure environments is that of pupillometry, where handheld quantitative infrared pupillometers (HQIPs) are able to track psycho-physiological fatigue in a fast, objective, valid, reliable, and non-invasive manner. However, the application of HQIPs in the context of athlete monitoring is yet to be determined. Therefore, the main aim of this pilot study was to examine the potential usefulness of a HQIP to monitor game-induced fatigue inside a professional female basketball setting by determining its (1) test-retest repeatability, (2) relationship with other biomarkers of game-induced fatigue, and (3) time-course from rested to fatigued states. A non-ophthalmologic practitioner performed a standardized Pupil Light Reflex (PLR) test using a medically graded HQIP among 9 professional female basketball players (2020-2021 Euro Cup) at baseline, 24-h pre-game (GD-1), 24-h post-game (GD+1) and 48-h post-game (GD+2). This was repeated over four subsequent games, equalling a total of 351 observations per eye. Two out of seven pupillometrics displayed good ICCs (0.95-0.99) (MinD and MaxD). Strong significant relationships were found between MaxD, MinD, and all registered biomarkers of game-induced fatigue (r = 0.69-0.82, p < 0.05), as well as between CV, MCV, and cognitive, lower-extremity muscle, and physiological fatigue markers (r = 0.74-0.76, p < 0.05). Three pupillometrics were able to detect a significant difference between rested and fatigued states. In particular, PC (right) (F = 5.173, η2 = 0.115 p = 0.028) and MCV (right) (F = 3.976, η2 = 0.090 p = 0.049) significantly decreased from baseline to GD+2, and LAT (left) (F = 4.023, η2 = 0.109 p = 0.009) significantly increased from GD-1 to GD+2. HQIPs have opened a new window of opportunity for monitoring game-induced fatigue in professional female basketball players. However, future research initiatives across larger and heterogenous samples, and longer investigation periods, are required to expand upon these preliminary findings.

How Sleep Affects Recovery and Performance in Basketball: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is considered an essential component related to physiological and psychological recovery in athletes and particularly in basketball, given the impact of condensed travel and game schedules on player health and performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review is to examine studies published to date on sleep and basketball performance. METHODOLOGY: All scientific articles that reported a relationship between sleep and its possible impact on performance in basketball are included. The research processes followed the PRISMA criteria, and the relevant articles were extracted (PubMed, WOS, Scopus) as of December 31, 2021. RESULTS: Twenty-eight articles were selected for inclusion and data extraction, with 27 demonstrating that sleep is a vital component in the recovery of basketball players and their corresponding on-court performance. Three central themes that we identified: (1) the quality and extension of sleep (the better quality and more extension of sleep, better performance and lower probability of injury); (2) influence of the players circadian rhythm (travel and game scheduling do not currently facilitate or take this into account); and (3) higher training loads and/or increased stress may jeopardize a subsequent good night's sleep, which should be taken into account when scheduling practices and workouts. CONCLUSION: The current systematic review regarding sleep and basketball performance and highlights that there is a strong relationship between both variables. Collectively, the evidence supports the critical influence of sleep on player recovery and basketball performance and risk for injury.

The underpinning factors of NBA game-play performance: a systematic review (2001-2020).

OBJECTIVE: Recognizing the high stakes associated with winning and losing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms of NBA game-play performance would provide substantial benefit to all stakeholders involved with preparing NBA players and teams for competitive success. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this systematic review presents the first attempt to systematically amalgamate and appraise the scientific literature published in the XXI Century, following a constraints-led approach (CLA). In particular, two underpinning factors of NBA game-play performance were investigated: (1) NBA player constraints (internal variables) and (2) NBA contextual constraints (external variables). METHODS: Databases included PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science (WOS), ResearchGate, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and the World Association of Basketball Coaches' database (WABC). This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model and the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICOS) guidelines. RESULTS: Ultimately, 43 articles met the inclusion criteria (n = 43). Promisingly, the vast majority of studies were published in recent years (>2016; n = 28; 65.1%). Topics related to 'contextual constraints' (n = 25; 58.1%) received more attention than topics related to 'player constraints' (n = 18; 41.9%). Even though the importance of longitudinal-interventional approaches to applied sports science is well-documented, descriptive-observational research emerged as the most popular method of choice (n = 27; 62.8%); interventional studies were absent; and near all researchers merely utilized secondary data sources (n = 37; 86.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the total body of evidence (2001-2020), NBA practitioners may use this systematic review as a baseline reference to enrich their current knowledge about the nature, demands, and dynamics of the modern-day NBA ecosystem. Finally, adoption of an 'Applied Science Research Framework' is encouraged, fostering clearly outlined project incentives; standardizing taxonomies; sequencing follow-up studies; embracing holistic and cross-disciplinary viewpoints; and integrating longitudinal-interventional projects to increase the reproducibility of their findings.

The Recovery Umbrella in the World of Elite Sport: Do Not Forget the Coaching and Performance Staff.

In the field of sports science, the recovery umbrella is a trending topic, and even more so in the world of elite sports. This is evidenced by the significant increase in scientific publications during the last 10 years as teams look to find a competitive edge. Recovery is recognized to be an integral component to assist athlete preparation in the restoration of physical and psychological function, and subsequently, performance in elite team sports athletes. However, the importance of recovery in team staff members (sports coaches and performance staff) in elite sports appears to be a forgotten element. Given the unrelenting intense nature of daily tasks and responsibilities of team staff members, the elite sports environment can predispose coaches to increased susceptibility to psycho-socio physiological fatigue burden, and negatively affect health, wellbeing, and performance. Therefore, the aim of this opinion was to (1) develop an educational recovery resource for team staff members, (2) identify organizational task-specific fatigue indicators and barriers to recovery and self-care in team staff members, and (3) present recovery implementation strategies to assist team staff members in meeting their organizational functions. It is essential that we do not forget the coaching and performance staff in the recovery process.

Urgent wake up call for the National Basketball Association.

NONE: Frequent air travel and the condensed game schedule typical of a National Basketball Association (NBA) team during the season, often results in accompanying sleep disturbances related to sleep length, sleep quality, and sleep timing (with highly harmful impacts on health, both physical and mental). These issues are not only problematic for NBA players, but also the coaches, training staff, and management support. In this narrative review, we summarize the detrimental effects that this travel and game schedule could have on NBA team members' sleep, as well as their physical and mental health. Multiple peer-reviewed articles address the role of sleep in athletic performance and health; however, to date, the literature focused on sleep-related issues that are unique to the NBA schedule is scarce. Firstly, this review addresses the impact of the NBA schedule, outlining the number of games and the travel involved (number of flights, the timing of flights, timings of arrival at destination and hotel); we also outline a typical daily NBA travel schedule, providing the reader a glimpse of what this encompasses. Secondly, we provide a brief overview of sleep science and discuss specific applications related to the NBA. Finally, we provide comment on the unique current situation of the NBA "bubble". Based on this review, there appears to be considerable scope for further investigation of the acute and chronic effects of sleep disturbances concerning the NBA travel and game schedule. Sleep science recommendations need to inform practice, target sleep interventions, and personalized protocols designed to enhance sleep health that can be incorporated at the organizational level.

Season Suspension and Summer Extension: Unique Opportunity for Professional Team-Sport Athletes and Support Staff During and Following the COVID-19 Crisis.

Given the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak, the official declaration of a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, and its consequential disruptions on the professional team sports landscape, it is the main objective of this brief opinion to help ensure that professional team-sport athletes and support staff remain aware as a society of some of the potential pitfalls - illustrated via negative but plausible detrimental scenarios. Finally, new ideas are introduced and evidence-based hypotheses are presented on the following five themes: periodization, exploration, virtual (at-home) training, player monitoring, and continued education, including return-to-competition preparation strategies following these exceptional times of uncharted territory.

The Negative Influence of Air Travel on Health and Performance in the National Basketball Association: A Narrative Review.

Air travel requirements are a concern for National Basketball Association (NBA) coaches, players, and owners, as sport-based research has demonstrated short-haul flights (≤6 h) increase injury risk and impede performance. However, examination of the impact of air travel on player health and performance specifically in the NBA is scarce. Therefore, we conducted a narrative review of literature examining the influence of air travel on health and performance in team sport athletes with suggestions for future research directions in the NBA. Prominent empirical findings and practical recommendations are highlighted pertaining to sleep, nutrition, recovery, and scheduling strategies to alleviate the negative effects of air travel on health and performance in NBA players.