Effect of the number of years of experience on physical fitness, sports skills and quality of life in wheelchair basketball players

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of the number of years of experience playing wheelchair basketball on physical fitness level and quality of life. Material and methods: Thirty two male wheelchair basketball players from three Turkish teams including amateur, national and professional teams participated in this study. The physical characteristics, medical history, the number of years of disability and experience in wheelchair basketball were recorded. The body composition, strength, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, flexibility, skills and quality of life of the players were evaluated. Results: There was a significant difference among the groups with regard to their years of experience in playing basketball (p<0.05). When the skinfold thickness was compared, a significant difference was found among the groups (p<0.05). There were significant differences among the groups (p<0.05) in the 6-minute endurance race. There were also noticeable differences among the groups in the lay-up, 20 m sprint, zone-shot, and eight-figure+ball tests (p<0.05). The number of years of experience was found to have a positive correlation with the eight-figure+ball test, the 20 m sprint test and the pass for accuracy test (p<0.05). There were no significant differences among the groups in the results of the Nottingham Health Profile (p>0.05). Conclusion: Performance in the sport of wheelchair basketball affects physical fitness, sports skills and quality of.