Training and Detraining: Effects on Strength in Youth Basketball Players

The article “Effects of strength training and detraining considering maturity status in youth highly trained basketball players” by Oliver Gonzalo-Skok and colleagues, published in PLOS ONE in February 2025, analyzes the impact of strength training and subsequent detraining periods on the physical performance of highly trained youth basketball players, taking into account their maturity status.

 

Study Objectives

The study aimed to:

  1. Evaluate the effects of an eight-week strength training program on jumping, sprinting, and change of direction in youth basketball players.
  2. Examine how the cessation of strength training, while maintaining basketball-specific training, affects physical performance in relation to the athletes’ maturity status.

 

Methodology

The study involved 35 male basketball players, aged 13 to 15, divided into three groups based on their maturity status:

  • Pre-PHV: 9 athletes (before peak height velocity)
  • Mid-PHV: 17 athletes (during peak height velocity)
  • Post-PHV: 9 athletes (after peak height velocity)

 

The training protocol consisted of eight weeks of strength training, with two weekly sessions focused on both vertically and horizontally oriented exercises. After this period, athletes continued only with basketball-specific training for another eight weeks (detraining period).

 

Performance assessments included:

  • Bilateral vertical jump (CMJ)
  • Unilateral vertical and horizontal jumps
  • Unilateral horizontal triple jump (3HJ)
  • 25-meter sprint
  • Change of direction (COD) tests with single and multiple angles

 

Key Findings

  • Unilateral horizontal jumps: All groups showed significant improvements after the strength training period.
  • Unilateral vertical jumps: Significant improvements were seen in the Mid-PHV and Post-PHV groups both after training and detraining.
  • Horizontal triple jump: Significant improvements in the Pre-PHV and Mid-PHV groups following training and detraining.
  • Change of direction (COD): Significant improvements in the Mid-PHV group after both training and detraining.
  • 25-meter sprint: No significant improvements observed in any group.

 

Conclusions

Combined strength training (vertically and horizontally oriented) has a positive effect on jumping performance, regardless of the athletes’ maturity status. Furthermore, the detraining period, even without strength training, led to improvements in some high-intensity capabilities, such as change of direction, especially in the Mid-PHV and Post-PHV groups.

 

Practical Implications

For coaches and strength & conditioning professionals, these findings highlight the importance of:

  • Implementing strength training programs that include both vertically and horizontally oriented exercises.
  • Considering athletes’ maturity status when planning training and recovery periods.
  • Utilizing strategic detraining periods to support recovery and enhance specific physical abilities.

 

These strategies can help optimize the physical performance of youth basketball players during the competitive season.

 

CITATION

Gonzalo-Skok O, Arede J, Dos’Santos T (2025) Effects of strength training and detraining considering maturity status in youth highly trained basketball players. PLoS ONE 20(2): e0317879. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317879

 

REFERENCE – ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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