Abstract

Basketball performance frequently depends on the ability to rapidly accelerate and decelerate over very short distances. This study examined whether anthropometric characteristics, countermovement jump (CMJ) force–time variables, and eccentric knee flexor strength could predict short-distance acceleration–deceleration performance in elite female basketball players. Forty-five players competing in the Icelandic top division (age: 23.4 ± 3.1 years; height: 177.2 ± 6.3 cm; body mass: 69.5 ± 7.1 kg) completed a testing battery including CMJ assessment on a force platform, eccentric hamstring strength testing using the Nordic hamstring exercise, and a 5-m acceleration–deceleration task measured with timing gates. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the contribution of neuromuscular variables to velocity change performance. Several CMJ-derived force–time variables and eccentric strength metrics were associated with performance in the 5-m task. In particular, braking phase duration, eccentric peak velocity, vertical velocity at take-off, peak take-off acceleration, lower-limb stiffness, and eccentric knee flexor strength variables showed significant relationships with velocity change performance. These findings highlight the importance of both eccentric braking capacity and rapid concentric force production during short-distance acceleration–deceleration actions. Overall, the results suggest that phase-specific neuromuscular characteristics measured during CMJ and eccentric hamstring assessments can provide valuable insight into the mechanical determinants of short-distance velocity changes in basketball. Monitoring braking-related and force–time variables may therefore assist practitioners in identifying key physical qualities relevant to basketball-specific movement performance and in guiding targeted training interventions.

Keywords: neuromuscular performance, braking mechanics, stretch–shortening cycle, velocity change ability, force–time profiling, hamstring function, sport-specific locomotion