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Cardiovascular fitness and explosive power characteristics of Nigerian badminton players
(2014-03) ABDULLAH, Yahaya; TORIOLA, A. L.; IGBOKWE, N. U.
Aim. This study was designed to assess the cardiovascular fitness and explosive power characteristics of 20 male and 9 female Nigerian badminton players who participated in the selection trials for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Methods. The following standardized measurements were taken: 20 m multi-stage shuttle run test, vertical jump (VJ) and standing long jump (LJ). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) were computed. A series of paired t-tests was also computed to examine gender differences in the cardiovascular and motor fitness among the players. Findings yielded significant correlations between the players' cardiovascular fitness and explosive power (VJ: r=0.81; LJ: r=0.40; P<0.05). Results. The male players had superior mean V02max (58.8±6.4 mL02.kg_1.min-1) and explosive power (VJ) (56.4±6.6 cm) than the female players (V02max: 45.6±3 mLOj-kg-'.min-1; VJ: 38.8+4.3) (P<0.05). Conclusion. In general, the national players were significantly fitter than the state players (P<0.05). Implications of the findings for designing badminton training program targetted at optimising the players' fitness levels and competitive performance are discussed.