Effectiveness of 4-week Fartlek Training on Cardiovascular Endurance and Speed among Amateur Basketball Players

Background: Basketball, a demanding team sport, engages both anaerobic and aerobic systems, causing fatigue during gameplay. Fartlek training, characterized by alternating fast and slow running periods, is particularly suited for sports requiring anaerobic sprints and aerobic recovery. Hypothesis: 4 weeks of fartlek training significantly affects cardiovascular endurance and speed among amateur basketball players. Study design: Experimental Study Level of evidence: 3 Methods: Thirty young amateur basketball players aged 12 to 17 participated in this experimental study. Pre-assessment included the Multi Stage Fitness Test for endurance and a 3/4th court sprint test for speed. After explaining the protocol to participants, coaches, and parents, the 4-week Fartlek Training was administered, followed by post-tests. Descriptive statistics were performed and the quantitative data was assessed using GraphPad and the level of significance was set at p value<0.05. Results: 30 young amateur basketball players participated in this study with a mean age of 12.26 ± 0.44 years. Analysis post-training showed an extremely significant improvement in the VO2 max (p<0.0001) with an increase in the average. A decrease in speed was found post training and the result was found highly significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed a substantial increase in both cardiovascular endurance and speed among participants following fartlek training. Notably, all participants demonstrated a significant rise in VO2 max, indicating improved aerobic capacity. Key words: amateur basketball players, endurance, fartlek training, speed