Exploratory Factor Analysis of Match Period and Sex-Related Differences of External and Internal Workload Demands in Youth Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to compare external and internal workload according to sex and match periods in youth basketball players during a congested-fixture tournament using an exploratory factor analysis method as a data reduction technique through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Sixty-four youth basketball players (32 women and 32 men) participated in an official congested-fixture tournament of three consecutive matches. An ultra-wideband (UWB) indoor and inertial measurement unit (IMU) was used to quantify external and internal workload. PCA identified six to seven principal components that explained more than 60% and 70% of the variance for men and women, respectively. Significant differences between sexes in the external load variable as AccMax, DecMax, AccAvg, DecAvg, Acc2–4 /min, Dec2–4 /min, Sprint/min, SpeedMax, JumpsTotal, JumpsAvg, Takeoff3–5g /min, and Takeoff5–8g /min; and internal load variables as Player Load, Power Met, and Heart Rate bpm. TD/min, AccAvg /min, DecAvg /min, Acc2–4 /min, and Dec2–4 /min decreased significantly throughout the match. The results indicated that acceleration and deceleration greater explained men locomotion while jumping actions had higher significance in women. Monitoring youth basketball competition is useful for understanding physical and physiological individual and collective demands. Statistical data reduction techniques are also sensitive to detect potential sex-related differences.