Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Function, and Rule Changes in Women's Basketball

Abstract

Abstract The purpose was to evaluate changes in body composition during a season of women's basketball and changes in cardiorespiratory function as measured by maximum oxygen intake (max VO2). In addition, the effects of a rule change (six players to five players) were analyzed on the basis of present data and data collected in a similar study completed before the rule change. Measures of max VO2 and body composition were taken on 14 women at the beginning and end of the season. The basketball players tended to be in upper ranges of height and weight in comparison to other reports on college women, but slightly leaner than average. Comparisons of pre- and postseason means (t test) revealed significant increases in weight and LBW which lead to significant decreases in max VO2 when expressed in ml/kg/min and ml/kg LBW/min. The present sample had significantly higher max VO2 values than on the six-player team, but there was no difference relative to training effects when in-season changes in weight and max V...