Longitudinal anthropometric and physical performance adaptations in the Polish Deaf National basketball team during a three-year preparation for the deaflympics.

Body composition remained largely stable across three competitive seasons in the Polish Deaf National Basketball Team.

• Eleven male athletes (age 26.9 ± 6.3 years) were assessed annually over three years (2019–2021).
• Friedman ANOVA revealed no significant changes in body composition across seasons (p > 0.05; W = 0.01–0.22).
• The only exception was a moderate increase in left-leg fat-free mass (p = 0.025; W = 0.33).
• Assessments included body composition measured via segmental analysis across three annual time points.

Jump performance (CMJ, ACMJ, SPJ) did not change significantly over the three-year preparation period.

• Countermovement jump (CMJ), arm countermovement jump (ACMJ), and spike jump (SPJ) were assessed annually.
• Friedman ANOVA showed no statistically significant changes in any jump metric (p > 0.05).
• Effect sizes for jump performance changes were small (d = 0.18–0.32).
• This stability indicates maintenance of neuromuscular power output across seasons.

Sprint performance declined significantly over the three-year observation period.

• The 0–5 m sprint showed a statistically significant decline (χ²(2) = 20.18, p < 0.001).
• The 0–20 m sprint also declined significantly (χ²(2) = 14.59, p = 0.001).
• The authors attributed this decline likely to COVID-19 training disruptions during the 2020–2021 period.
• Sprint times increased (i.e., performance worsened) despite stable jump and body composition metrics.

Elite Deaf basketball players demonstrated substantially superior physical capacity compared to physically inactive Deaf peers.

• A control group of physically inactive Deaf students (n = 15; age 21.1 ± 1.6 years) was evaluated for comparison.
• Players had higher fat-free mass than inactive peers (d = 2.12), indicating a large effect.
• Players demonstrated greater jump power than inactive peers (d = 3.46), indicating a very large effect.
• Sprint performance was faster in players compared to inactive peers (d = −1.03 to −1.07), indicating large effects.
• Mean estimated VO₂max for players in 2021 was 47.3 ± 6.1 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹.

This study represents the first longitudinal examination of anthropometric and physical performance adaptations in elite Deaf basketball players.

• The study followed the Polish Deaf National Basketball Team across three years of Deaflympics preparation (2019–2021).
• Prior research on long-term training adaptations in elite Deaf athletes was described as limited.
• The longitudinal observational design included annual assessments of both the athlete group (n = 11) and a control group (n = 15).
• Findings underscore the need for 'individualized, acceleration-focused monitoring to sustain long-term neuromuscular performance' according to the authors.