Effect of Strengthening Exercise with Medicine Ball Training on Skill Performance Variables among Basketball Players

Abstract

Basketball is a dynamic sports game where using techniques and tactics requires a lot of high-intensity movements. With limited recovery time, athletes with significant degree of physical fitness—including agility, power, and endurance—can perform well. Basketball players have benefited from a wide range of fitness training techniques, involving core, resistance, strength, game-based conditioning, high-intensity interval, and functional training. High levels of strength, power, and agility, along with a reasonably lean body composition, are essential for successful basketball players. Basketball players must concentrate on building strength, power, and agility through quick, intensive workouts if they want to succeed. Strength training (ST) enhances neuromuscular function and critical sports skills. In that regard, the best methods for enhancing the aforementioned skills are strength training in conjunction with force-vector specific training. Exercises utilizing a medicine ball (MB), sometimes called a fitness or training ball made of rubber, could be used to improve coordination, muscle strength, power, agility, balance, and speed. It also contributes to practice using a ball. Clown balls, body balls, and ball stability are some names for them. All levels of skills, ages, stages of growth, and sports can take advantage of MB practice. The program needs to be able to adjust to the exercise's movements in order to be more successful. The objective of this study was to examine the influences of strengthening exercises and MB training on the skill ability factors of basketball players. To accomplish the goals of the study, thirty (N=30) intercollegiate basketball players were selected from {DPE} Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The participants (n=15) were divided into two equal groups at random. Group I served as the experimental group (EG), while Group II served as the control group (CG). The CG received no training other than their regular tasks, while the EG engaged in strengthening exercises using MB training. For six weeks, the EGreceived training three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The Leilich basketball test was used to measure jump shots, and scores served as the unit of measurement. The Harrison basketball test is used as the unit of measurement for rebound. To decide whether there had been any considerable enhancement at the 0.05 significance= level of, the data gathered from the participants were statistically examined using the "t" ratio. The findings indicate that, despite the constraints of nutrition, climate, and lifestyle, the effectiveness of strengthening exercises combined with MB training led to a considerable improvement in skill performance. The study found that intercollegiate basketball players' skill performance was greatly enhanced by strengthening exercises combined with medicine ball training (MBT).