Effect of preseason training on anthropometric and derived variables in professional basketball players

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a preseason training focused on anthropometric and derived variables in elite basketball players. Eight professional players from ACB, with a mean age of 26.8 +/- 5.4 years old, participated in this study. Anthropometric evaluations were taken according with the criteria of the International Society for the Advancement of Kynemthnvometry. The rust test was done before the preseason began (pre-test), meanwhile the second one was taken 14 days after (post-test). Significant decreases were found in weight, iliac crest, abdominal and thigh skinfolds, waist girth, six and eight skin fold thickness sums, waist/hip ratio, and fat percentage and mass. Also, muscle mass significantly increased. In conclusion, fourteen preseason training days are sufficient to produce changes in some anthropometric parameters, especially those related to adiposity, as well as in body composition, specifically in fat and muscle mass.