Player availability, injuries, illnesses and training load in an elite youth male basketball team across a full season

This study evaluated player availability, injuries, illnesses and training load in elite youth male basketball players across a full competitive season. 14 youth male basketball players (age: 16.1 ± 0.3 years; tier 3) were monitored using the session RPE (sRPE) method to evaluate training load, monotony and strain across week and cumulatively (2-, 3-, 4-week). Player availability for official games, injuries and illnesses were tracked daily. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was implemented to select key training demands variables. Subsequently, a linear mixed model evaluated if training demands changed across different season phases. Generalized logistic mixed models evaluated if season phase and training demands affected player availability, injuries and illnesses. PCA identified 3–4-week cumulative demands and 1-week demands as principal load variables. The overall team availability for games was 90 ± 5.2%. Incidence of injuries and illnesses were 0.10/1000-h-of athlete-exposure (AE and 0.05/1000-h-AE, respectively. 1-week demands were lower in the second phase (p < 0.05), while 3–4-week cumulative demands did not vary across season phases. There were no effects of season phase, 1-week and 3–4-week cumulative demands on player availability, injuries and illnesses (all p > 0.05). Current results provide useful information to youth basketball practitioners that can be considered to optimize player's health across the competitive season.