Validation of an Instrument to Control and Monitor the Training Load in Basketball: The BATLOC Tool

The main objective of a coach is to optimize athletic performance. The best performance improvements come from prescribing an optimal dose of physical training with proper recovery periods to allow for the greatest adaptation before competition. The main objective was to validate an inexpensive, easy, non-invasive, real time tool to control and monitor the training load in basketball: the BATLOC tool. Fourteen elite female basketball players from a top-4 team that competes in the England Basketball League Division I volunteered to participate in this study (20.50 ± 2.31 years old, 174.21 ± 4.17 cm, 75.21 ± 15.38 kg, BMI of 24.67 ± 4.23, 177.29 ± 7.60 cm of arm span, 19.01 ± 2.34 % of body fat, and 45.18 ± 4.17 ml/kg/min of VO2max. Two mesocycles were analized: pre-season (6 weeks) and in-season (10 weeks). Training load was controlled and monitored daily with the BATLOC tool. Heart rate was monitored for every player every 5 s in each training session. The RPE was measured using the 6-20 Borg scale. The Pearson’s product moment correlation between the means of intensity, RPE, heart rate, maximum heart rate and equivalent training load showed an excellent concordance (>0.75). To conclude, based on the results in this study and the literature reviewed, the BATLOC tool seems to be a good method to control global internal training load in basketball. This method does not require any expensive equipment and may be very useful and convenient for coaches to monitor the internal training load of basketball players.