Beyond Jump Height: The Value of Phase-Specific Metrics for Monitoring Fatigue in Basketball

ABSTRACT: Palanisamy, AC, Ahluwalia, J, Bahrami, B, Randhawa, A, and Kobsar, D. Beyond jump height: The value of phase-specific metrics for monitoring fatigue in basketball. J Strength Cond Res 40(5): 591-596, 2026-Basketball athletes must balance intense training demands with recovery to maintain peak performance, while minimizing fatigue-related injuries. Assessing the acute effects of basketball practice on countermovement jump (CMJ) metrics offers a valuable approach to evaluating the impact of practice volume on neuromuscular performance. Fourteen male athletes from the McMaster University basketball team participated in this study, with data collected pre- and postpractice for a 10-week period. Results revealed significant decreases in performance output metrics, such as jump height and modified reactive strength index, after practice. In addition, phase-specific temporal metrics, including braking phase duration, increased, whereas driver metrics, such as eccentric mean braking force and eccentric rate of force development, decreased, indicating altered neuromuscular strategies due to fatigue. However, these changes had limited associations to practice volume measured by inertial sensors, suggesting substantial individual variability in fatigue responses. These findings demonstrate the sensitivity of CMJ metrics to acute fatigue, particularly phase-specific force-time components, providing deeper insights into neuromuscular adaptations beyond performance output alone. Although CMJ metrics effectively capture fatigue-related changes, the magnitude of these changes does not exhibit a clear relationship with practice load, highlighting the complexity of monitoring fatigue responses in team sports. This study enhances the understanding of player fatigue and underscores the practical application of force plate technology in sports science to inform individualized training and recovery strategies.