Relationship between training frequency and functional movements of basketball players. The risk of sport injuries

The function movements are complex movements, involving the body‘s kinetic linking system, i.e. interacting of interdependent body segments. Basketball players perform many and various functional movements involving body‘s kinetic chain. The function movement screen is a testing tool to assess fundamental human movement pattern; its impairment can affect a person‘s movement restriction. These tests are also used in sport to predict possible musculoskeletal injuries, or to prevent re-injury. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the relationship between physical load frequency and functional movement, as well as to determine potential injury risk of basketball players. Thirty two basketball players took part in the research. The athletes were divided into two groups according to the total number of weekly training and competition participated. The first group of athletes (16 basketball players) consisted of moderately active athletes, who trained and participated in competition 2–4 times a week (the average age was 22,5±1,4). The second group (16 basketball players) consisted of very active athletes, who trained and participated in competition 7–14 times a week (the average age was 21,2±0,7). The groups were homogeneous by age, body composition index and training experience. Questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurement, functional movement screen, modified star excursion balance test were applied in the research. Arithmetic average and standard deviation were calculated. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was used to compare independent samples. To assess the reliability of statistical hypotheses the level of significance was set at p