Jumping Performance of Elite NCAA Division 1 Student-athletes: The Effect of Basketball Shoe Design – Part I

Background: Assessment of basketball shoes as personal protection equipment (PPE) at the collegiate level is unique. Objective: The purpose of Part I in this pilot study was to examine the effect of shoe design on jump height in elite male and female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 basketball student-athletes. Method: Each team selected two pairs of AdidasTM branded shoes. The male student-athletes selected the AdidasTM Harden Vol. 3 and the AdidasTM SM Pro basketball shoes. The female student-athletes selected the AdidasTM Harden Vol. 3 and the AdidasTM Captain Marvel basketball shoes. A total of sixteen basketball student-athletes (six males, ten females) performed an acute series of four styled basketball jumps on two ForceDecksTM Force Platforms while trying to maximize jump height by tapping VertecTM Jump Vanes. Two trials were performed in each shoe and for each type of jump which included a countermovement jump, drop jump from 30cm, step and jump, and a series of plyometric jumps. Results: The results of this pilot study indicated a non-significant effect of basketball shoe design on jump height while performing an acute series of basketball style jumps for either the male or female basketball student-athletes. However, there were significant differences in jump height and peak power between the male and female basketball student-athletes (p = 0.001). Conclusion: In addition to the results, the use of quantitative performance testing on the effectiveness of basketball shoe designs as PPE may assist in the mitigation of non-contact ankle and lower limb injuries.