Explosive strength training improves speed and agility in wheelchair basketball athletes

Introduction: Wheelchair basketball is a paralympic sport characterized by intermittent high-intensity activities that require explosive strength and speed. Objective: To investigate the effect of explosive strength training on speed and agility performance in wheelchair basketball players. Methods: Ten male wheelchair basketball players (M-age=31 +/- 4 yrs) were divided into two groups [i.e. explosive strength training (ES); control (CN)] based on International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) classification scores. The ES group underwent 6-weeks of training, twice weekly, at 50% 1RM, 10-12 repetitions and 3-4 sets in addition to routine training. Effects of training were measured by the 20 m sprint test and Illinois agility test. Results: The ES group, showed significantly higher increases in speed and agility performance (p <= .05). Conclusion: A short-duration (i.e. 6-week) explosive strength training programme in wheelchair basketball athletes results in significant improvements in sprint and agility performance.