Effects of Upper Extremity Fatigue on Shooting Accuracy, Kinematics, and Muscle Activation in Basketball Players
Date
Authors
Yasar, MN
Cilli, M
Bakici, Doğuş
Gul, ANA
Kalk, B
Cinarli, FS
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Ljubljana
Abstract
Fatigue is a critical determinant of sports performance, often impairing athletic precision and efficiency. This study investigated the effects of upper extremity fatigue on shooting accuracy, kinematics, and muscle activity in adolescent basketball players. Twelve participants (age: 15 ± 1.1 yrs; sports experience: 6 ± 2.7 yrs) performed free throws under pre-and post-fatigue conditions. Fatigue was induced through a structured protocol utilizing a graphical user interface to monitor exertion levels. Shooting accuracy was qualitatively assessed based on predefined shot outcome categories. Kinematic variables, joint angles, joint angular velocities, and ball trajectory parameters were analyzed alongside muscle activation of key upper extremity muscles. Post-fatigue analysis revealed a significant decrease in elbow angular velocity (−5.08%, p = 0.041, effect size = 0.59), indicating impaired joint coordination. Additionally, palmaris longus muscle activation declined (−4.68%, p = 0.028, effect size = 0.63), suggesting reduced wrist stability and grip control. Furthermore, shooting accuracy deteriorated, with a significant increase in the frequency of 'Airball' (p < 0.05) and 'Short or uncontrolled shot did not score' (p < 0.05) outcomes. However, no significant differences were observed in the 'Balanced and controlled shot, but did not score' and 'Successful shot' categories. These findings highlight the negative impact of fatigue on neuromuscular control and biomechanics, underscoring the importance of fatigue management strategies in basketball training to maintain shooting efficiency.Description
Keywords
42 Health Sciences, 4207 Sports Science and Exercise, basketball, electromyography, muscular fatigue, motion analysis, triceps brachii, free throw
Source
Kinesiologia Slovenica, Scientific Journal on Sport. ISSN: 1318-2269 (Print); 2232-4062 (Online), University of Ljubljana, 31(2), 153-166. doi: 10.52165/kinsi.31.2.153-166
Publisher's version
Rights statement
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Merve Nur Yasar, Dr. Murat Cilli, Dogus Bakici, Dr. Ayse Nur Ay Gul, Berkan Kalk, Dr. Fahri Safa Cinarli. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.