Author(s): HOMMA, H., YAMAGISHI, T., SHIRAKI, S., YAMASHITA, D., ANDO, R., Institution: JAPAN INSTITUTE OF SPORTS SCIENCES, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1778

INTRODUCTION:
Badminton is a racket sport characterized by rallies involving a wide variety of shots, with a reported high frequency of approximately once per second. Match play requires frequent multidirectional acceleration and deceleration, necessitating substantial lower limb power and aerobic capacity [1]. To optimize physical training, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between external load during badminton match play and physical fitness. External load during matches can be quantified as accumulated acceleration loads (AAL) [2]. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between AAL during match play and physical fitness variables, such as lower limb power and peak oxygen uptake.
METHODS:
Twenty-five male collegiate badminton players (highly trained; Tier 3) participated in this study. All participants completed three games, regardless of the outcomes of the first and second games. External load and heart rate (HR) during matches were recorded using an inertial measurement unit and an HR monitor. AAL defined as the sum of changes in three-dimensional acceleration, was calculated as described by Boyd and Aughey (2011) [2] and quantified within four acceleration-intensity thresholds. Participants completed an incremental cycling test on a separate occasion to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and maximal incremental power (MIP), defined as the mean power output over the final 1 min of the test. Moreover, participants performed two 6-s all-out cycling sprints against 7.5% of body mass, separated by 120 s of recovery, peak power (PP) was recorded, and the higher value from the two trials was used for analysis.
RESULTS:
No significant correlations were observed between AAL at each intensity threshold and VO2peak, MIP or 6-s PP (r = -0.007 – 0.37, p > 0.05). In addition, AAL (10.3 ± 1.3 vs. 10.5 ± 1.4 a.u., p >0.05) and HR (162.4 ± 7.3 vs. 157.9 ± 8.5 bpm, p > 0.05) during the match, and VO2peak (64.7 ± 2.6 vs. 64.1 ± 3.9 ml·min-1·kg-1, p > 0.05), MIP (5.2 ± 0.3 vs. 5.1 ± 0.4 W·kg-1), PP (11.8 ± 0.7 vs. 11.9 ± 0.4 W·kg-1, p > 0.05) were comparable between winners and losers.
CONCLUSION:
AAL during the match was not associated with the physical fitness measures assessed in this study. The participants in this study demonstrated higher aerobic power than those in a previous study, in which participants were ranked between 49 and 164 in the world rankings [3]. This may indicate that aerobic power was not a primary limitation factor for the match external load observed in this highly trained cohort. Therefore, different associations might be observed in athletes with lower aerobic power and a VO2peak value of approximately 65 ml·min-1·kg-1 may be sufficient for this level of badminton performance.
1. Alcock and Cable (2009). Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport.
2. Boyd and Aughey (2011). Int J Sports Physiol Perform.
3. Faude et al. (2007). Eur. J. Appl. Physiol.