Background: The purpose of this study was to do a systematic review and meta-analysis about the anthropometric, physiological, and physical performance that discriminate the physical talent in basketball.Methods: The search was conducted using the most relevant databases as Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Scopus, according to the PRISMA (2020) guideline. Keywords such as “basketball”, “talented identification”, “anthropometric”, “physiology” and “physical performance” were used for the search, in English and following the “PICOS” question model. Eighteen articles' overall methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Review Forms.Results: The study found in basketball, height, body mass, Yo-Yo test, T-test, 20 m sprint, and jump performance had statistical significance between elite and non-elite groups, including different positions and levels.Conclusions: The reviewed literature highlighted a complicated relationship between anthropometric, physiological, and physical performance. Based on the results of the study, it's possible that height, body mass, agility, speed, endurance capacity, and lower lamb power could affect the early development of basketball.

(1) Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the reliability and consistency of the impact of gaze behaviors (e.g., QE duration, FFD, FD) on basketball shooting performance. (2) Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), SPORTDiscus, and Scopus, covering all records from each database’s inception. Overall, 17 studies were included examining the relationship between the gaze behavior of basketball players and shooting performance and the studies The quality of the studies was assessed using the McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. A meta-analysis was performed using R 4.4.2 software. (3) Results: Longer QE duration (r = 0.67, p = 0.04) and FFD (r = 0.55, p = 0.03) were positively correlated with SA, while FD showed no significant association (p = 0.82). Elite players exhibited significantly longer QE durations than near-elite players (p = 0.01), but no significant differences were observed in FFD (p = 0.12) or FD (p = 0.18) between competition levels. Meta-regression analysis confirmed a significant positive relationship between QE duration and SA in different competition levels (p = 0.0143). (4) Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the importance of QE duration in basketball shooting performance, with elite players showing better gaze control.

(1) Background: This study investigated developmental differences in gaze behaviors and performance during basketball free throws among youth athletes. (2) Methods: Forty-six male youth basketball players (U14, U16, U18) each performed 30 standardized free throws while wearing Tobii Pro Glasses 3 to record gaze data (Quiet Eye duration and Total Fixation duration). Shooting accuracy and cognitive workload (NASA-TLX) were also collected. One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to examine age-related differences and the relationships between gaze behavior and performance. (3) Results: Shooting accuracy was moderately correlated with chronological age (r = 0.386, p = 0.010) and training experience (r = 0.367, p = 0.010), and total fixation duration was positively associated with training experience (r = 0.338, p = 0.025). Regression analyses showed that training experience predicted total fixation duration, and both age and experience predicted shooting accuracy when considered separately (p < 0.05), but neither predicted cognitive workload (p > 0.05). Age and training experience were positively associated with shot success. (4) Conclusions: In the youth free-throw task, Quiet Eye duration and total fixation duration were highly correlated but did not independently predict shooting success, while shooting performance was more strongly associated with age and training experience, and perceived cognitive workload remained stable across age groups.

Background: Table tennis is a fast interceptive sport that requires continuous visual information processing and precise visuomotor control. Wearable eye tracking may provide objective information about ocular behaviour during sport-specific performance, although evidence on blink behaviour and pupil diameter in elite players remains limited. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study analysed blink-related and pupil-related variables during a standardised table tennis stroke-performance test in 17 elite male players. Participants completed a 56-ball robot-based protocol, consisting of six familiarisation trials followed by 50 analysed forehand topspin strokes. Ocular variables included total blink count, blink frequency, mean blink duration, mean pupil diameter, maximum pupil diameter, and minimum pupil diameter. Technical performance outcomes were stroke accuracy and ball velocity. Results: Blink frequency showed the strongest positive association with stroke accuracy score (Spearman’s ρ = 0.613, 95% CI [0.060, 0.881], p = 0.012), although this association did not remain statistically significant after false discovery rate correction (FDR-adjusted p = 0.115). Total blink count showed a similar association that did not reach statistical significance (ρ = 0.496, p = 0.051). No significant associations were observed between blink-related variables and ball velocity. Pupil-diameter variables were not significantly associated with either stroke accuracy or ball velocity. Conclusions: Blink-related measures showed the clearest relationship with stroke accuracy, whereas global pupil-diameter measures did not show comparable associations with technical performance. These findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger samples using time-resolved analyses of ocular behaviour.

Background: Sled sprint training to improve athletes’ sprint performance is becoming increasingly popular. However, there is still no consensus on the appropriate resistance to improve acceleration, and few studies have focused on adolescent sprinters. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of different heavy-load sled sprint training on acceleration performance and kinematics in adolescent sprinters. Methods: Thirty-two adolescent sprinters were assigned to four groups: three resisted groups (25%, 40%, and 50% body mass [BM]; n = 8 each) and one non-resisted group (NRS; n = 8). Participants trained twice weekly for 8 weeks. Pre- and post-training assessments included 30 m and 60 m sprint performance and kinematic parameters (step length, step frequency, contact time, flight time, trunk angle, push-off angle, shin angle, and hip angular velocity). Results: For sprint performance, within-group improvements were significant in 30 m for 40% and 50% BM groups and in 60 m for 25% BM group ( p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons showed greater 30 m improvements in 40% and 50% BM groups compared to NRS group ( p < 0.05). In terms of sprint kinematics, within-group improvements were significant for step length (0–30 m) and step frequency (10–20 m) across all resisted groups, and for trunk angle (toe-off) (0–20 m) and push-off angle (10–20 m) in the 40% and 50% BM groups. Between-group comparisons showed significantly greater trunk angle (10–20 m) in 40% and 50% BM groups compared to NRS group ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results indicate that heavier sled training (40% and 50% BM) was more effective in enhancing speed, trunk angle, and step length in acceleration, whereas lighter sled training (25% BM) benefited 60 m sprint performance. This study highlights how different training loads impact sprint performance, providing coaches with insights into kinematic changes following prolonged training and aiding in the optimization of sprint training programs for adolescents.

Wearable eye-tracking systems enable the assessment of ocular and oculomotor dy-namics during natural motor activities, although their temporal variation and rela-tionship with performance remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated ocular characteristics during repeated basketball free throws and their association with individual shooting outcomes. Thirty-three basketball players performed 30 free throws while wearing a Pupil Labs Neon eye-tracking system. Following quality con-trol, 936 attempts from 32 athletes were analysed. Pupil diameter, eyelid aperture, blink occurrence, saccade rate, and fixation rate were extracted from pre-release in-tervals. Mixed-effects models examined temporal changes and within-athlete associa-tions with shooting success, applying false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Modest temporal changes were observed: eyelid aperture increased across successive attempts (β = 0.0069 mm/attempt; FDR-adjusted p = 0.047), whereas saccade rate (β = −0.0129 events·s⁻¹/attempt; FDR-adjusted p = 0.007) and fixation rate (β = −0.0112 events·s⁻¹/attempt; FDR-adjusted p = 0.028) decreased. Pupil diameter and blink occur-rence showed no significant temporal changes. None of the five ocular measures was significantly associated with individual shooting success after FDR correction. These findings indicate that wearable eye tracking can detect temporal changes in ocular behaviour during repeated motor performance, although their physiological signifi-cance and potential applications in human monitoring require further investigation.