Dimitrije Cabarkapa

• PhD / CSCS*D / NSCA-CPT*D / USAW
• Associate Director at Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory - Wu Tsai Human Performance Allicance - University of Kansas

Cabarkapa, DV, Cabarkapa, D, Aleksic, J, and Fry, AC. Sport-specific differences in vertical jump force-time metrics between professional female volleyball, basketball, and handball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The purpose of the present study was to examine the sport-specific differences in countermovement vertical jump (CMJ)...

The purpose of this study was to examine how CMJ conditions affect strategies, drivers, and outputs as well as determine if differences between CMJ conditions exist and how to best address them.

Strength, power, and speed are critical components of athletic performance. However, emphasizing the importance of adequate physical assessments and developmental approaches of youth populations is also critical. The authors propose a three-step process for enhancing physical fitness outcomes (i.e., improved strength, power, and speed) for youth...

The purpose of this study was to analyze short sprint performance of college track and field athletes at specific distance intervals. Unique sprinting performance characteristics were observed between males, females, and Olympic level athletes. Specifically, at 5-meters, 15-meters, and 30-meters. This research investigation was funded in part by...

While wheelchair basketball (WCB) is the most popular paralympic sport, limited literature is available pertaining to the relationship between muscular strength and power characteristics and shooting proficiency within this cohort of athletes. Handgrip strength (HS) and seated medicine ball throw (SMBT) have been shown to be related to upper-body s...

Volleyball is a game played by two teams, with 6 players on each side of the net. Each team can score points by sending the ball, by serving, bumping, passing, or spiking the ball over the net to their opponent. In order to score, the ball has to hit the ground (USA Volleyball). Overhead motions of the upper extremity with the arm in abduction are...

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact arm swing has on CMJ measures that influence jump height. All strategy and output metrics were significantly influenced by jump condition in female NCAA Division-II basketball players. Average braking force and peak braking force were the only driver metrics influenced by jump condition. This...

Objectives: The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to profile body composition and physical fitness characteristics of collegiate American football starters and (b) to examine differences in key performance indicators across position groups. These indicators included select measures of body composition, joint kinematics, as well as muscular str...

Basketball is a popular team sport that requires a blend of technical, tactical, and physical skills, with varying demands as players progress through age groups. While previous research has examined differences in player performance across various age groups and playing positions, the purpose of the present study was to investigate differences in...

Sanders, GJ, Skodinski, S, Cabarkapa, DV, Howard, M, Cabarkapa, D, Kollock, RO, and Peacock, CA. Countermovement jumps and acute to chronic workload ratios in low, moderate, and high jump load groups throughout a Division I volleyball season. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of low, moder...

The study quantified total and high-intensity jump counts and assessed neuromuscular performance through countermovement jump (CMJ) force and velocity metrics by position. Twelve Division I female athletes (19.6 ± 1.3 years; 182.7 ± 6.5 cm) were included in the 16-week study using wearable microsensors to monitor daily jump loads. CMJ tests were co...

The countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) is widely used in sports science and rehabilitation to assess lower body power. In controlled laboratory environments, a complex analysis of CMJ performance is usually carried out using motion capture or force plate systems, providing detailed insights into athlete’s movement mechanics. While these systems ar...

Given the increasing use of innovative force plate systems in applied sports settings and the impact that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have on team success, the purpose of the present study was to compare the lower-body neuromuscular performance characteristics of athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and their non-injured c...

Recent literature has shown that the provision of feedback can enhance vertical jump performance acutely, as well as chronically when implemented during phases of training. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of two types of visual feedback on performance and variability of countermovement jump-derived force-time characteristics i...

Citation: Aleksic, J.; Kanevsky, D.; Mesaroš, D.; Knezevic, O.M.; Cabarkapa, D.; Bozovic, B.; Mirkov, D.M. Validation of Automated Countermovement Vertical Jump Analysis: Markerless Pose Estimation vs. 3D Marker-Based Motion Capture System. Sensors 2024, 24, 6624. Abstract: This study aimed to validate the automated temporal analysis of countermove...

Cabarkapa, D, Cabarkapa, DV, Aleksic, J, Mihajlovic, F, and Fry, AC. The impact of the official Basketball Champions League game on lower-body neuromuscular performance characteristics. J Strength Cond Res 38(10): e595–e599, 2024—Considering the extensive use of force plate technology in an applied sports setting and the lack of scientific literatu...

Sprint performance is commonly assessed via discrete sprint tests and analyzed through kinematic estimates modeled using a mono-exponential equation, including estimated maximal sprinting speed (MSS), relative acceleration (TAU), maximum acceleration (MAC), and relative propulsive maximal power (PMAX). The acceleration–velocity profile (AVP) provid...

Philipp, NM, Blackburn, SD, Cabarkapa, D, and Fry, AC. The effects of a low-volume, high-intensity pre-season micro-cycle on neuromuscular performance in collegiate female basketball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2024—The use of stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)–based measures of vertical jump performance to monitor responses to trainin...

With innovative portable force plate systems being widely implemented for lower-body neuromuscular performance assessment in an applied sports setting and the existing gap in the scientific literature regarding player performance during in-game competitive scenarios, the purpose of the present study was to compare changes in countermovement vertica...

This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of lower limb wearable resistance on maximal horizontal deceleration biomechanics, across two different assessments. Twenty recreationally trained team sport athletes performed acceleration to deceleration assessments (ADA), and 5-0-5 change of direction (COD) tests across three load conditions (unl...

Introduction Advances in motion capture technology include markerless systems to facilitate valid data collection. Recently, the technological reliability of this technology has been reported for human movement assessments. To further understand sources of potential error, biological reliability must also be determined. The aim of this study was to...

Sleep has been recognized as one of the most essential recovery methods necessary for achieving optimal performance. However, there is still a lack of scientific literature focused on examining its impact on one of the most prevalent skills in the game of basketball, the countermovement vertical jump (CVJ). Therefore, the purpose of the present stu...

One of the reoccurring questions that arises during the countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) assessment is whether the learning effect has an impact on the accuracy of the results obtained. Thus, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the impact of the short-term learning effect on the assessment of lower-body neuromuscular performa...

Cabarkapa, DV, Fry, AC, Kavadas, NG, and Cabarkapa, D. Are load-velocity estimates of bench press maximal strength as accurate as actual 1-repetition maximum testing? J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2024—The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if using maximal velocity measures while lifting submaximal loads as a predictor of...

The countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) is one of the most commonly used methods for neuromuscular performance assessment in the applied sports setting. However, despite a rapid increase in the popularity of 3x3 basketball, no research to date has examined the CVJ profile of these athletes and whether it is different than the 5x5 basketball players...

Cabarkapa, D, Johnson, QR, Cabarkapa, DV, Philipp, NM, Eserhaut, DA, and Fry, AC. Changes in countermovement vertical jump force-time metrics during a game in professional male basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 38(7): 1326–1329, 2024—As technology within elite basketball advances and is more available to sporting organizations, novel approach...

Introduction With recent increases in the popularity of studying the physical construct of horizontal deceleration performance in team-sport athletes, the aim of the present study was to assess the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of processing and quantifying horizontal deceleration ability using radar technology. Methods Data from 92 NCAA...

The countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) plays a fundamental role in differentiating various neuromuscular performance parameters of athletes. This pilot study examined some of the metric characteristics of a modified test, which, in addition to jump height and take-off time, includes reaction time metrics. Given the satisfactory reliability in the...

Considering the importance of body composition and lower-body strength and power for basketball players' on-court performance, as well as a lack of sports science research focused on female athletes, the purpose of the present investigation was to record the anthropometric and countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) characteristics of top-tier U16 and...

With innovative force plate technology being available to many sports organizations worldwide that allow for time-efficient in-depth neuromuscular performance assessment, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between some of the most commonly analyzed countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) force-time metrics and basketball p...

As one of the most fundamental skills in volleyball, the countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) has been commonly implemented as a non-invasive and time-efficient method for the assessment of lower-body neuromuscular function. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in CVJ performance between three different competitive levels in f...

The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in game-related statistics between winning and losing game outcomes and determine which performance parameters have the greatest impact in classifying winning from losing game outcomes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-I men's basketball level of competition....

Given its fast-growing popularity and unique on-court competitive demands, 3 × 3 basketball has captured a considerable amount of attention over recent years. However, unlike research focused on studying 5 × 5 basketball players, there is a lack of scientific literature focused on examining countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) and sprint performance...

Given the complex nature of the handball as a game, players are required to possess a distinct set of physical and physiological attributes to attain peak performance. With the countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) being widely implemented as a non-invasive and time-efficient testing modality in sports settings, the purpose of the present study was t...

Citation: Jovanović, M.; Cabarkapa, D.; Andersson, H.; Nagy, D.; Trunic, N.; Bankovic, V.; Zivkovic, A.; Repasi, R.; Safar, S.; Ratgeber, L. Abstract: Short sprints are predominantly assessed using timing gates and analyzed through parameters of the mono-exponential equation, including estimated maximal sprinting speed (MSS) and relative accelera...

The importance of quantifying maximal horizontal deceleration performance in athlete populations has received a considerable increase in interest over recent years. However, research is still scarce investigating movement characteristics of maximal horizontal decelerations outside of measures derived from instantaneous horizontal velocity of the ce...

Introduction: While using force-plate derived measures of vertical jump performance, reflective of stretch-shortening-cycle (SSC) efficiency is common practice in sport science, there is limited evidence as to which tests and measures may be most sensitive toward neuromuscular fatigue. The aim of this study was to explore the SSC fatigue response t...

As one of the fundamental volleyball skills, countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) has been commonly implemented in the applied sports setting as a non-invasive and time-efficient assessment of athletes' lower-body neuromuscular function. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in CMJ characteristics between starters and non-s...

The purpose of this investigation was to profile external training loads throughout the course of a collegiate football season. American football is a dynamic sport that is characterized by intermittent high-intensity tasks such as sprinting, blocking, tackling, and sudden changes of direction Additionally, there are several key performance indicat...

Cabarkapa, DV, Cabarkapa, D, Philipp, NM, and Fry, AC. Competitive season-long changes in countermovement vertical jump force-time metrics in female volleyball players. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): e72–e77, 2024—Although force plates remain one of the most widely used tools for neuromuscular performance assessment in applied sports-specific settings,...

Philipp, NM, Cabarkapa, D, Blackburn, SD, and Fry, AC. Dose-response relationship for external workload and neuromsuclar performance over a female, collegiate, basketball season. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2023—The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between external workload exposure and changes in countermovement jump f...

This study compared the kinetic and kinematic variables measured by a three-dimensional markerless motion capture system (MCS) to identify alterations in lower-extremity performance following vertical jump (VJ) and sprint anaerobic fatiguing tasks. Eleven females (±SD; 20.8±1.1 years, 72.2±7.4 cm, 68.0±7.2 kg) and eleven males (23.0±2.6 years., 180...

In a sport-specific setting, the external load represents the cumulative amount of stress placed on the athlete during a specific activity, while the internal load describes the athlete's individual physiological response to that particular activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between external load measured with a t...

With force plates being widely implemented for neuromuscular performance assessment in sport-specific settings and various force-time metrics being able to differentiate athletes based on their performance capabilities, the purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) characteristics between sta...

While various quantifiable physical attributes have been found to contribute to athletes’ performance, there is a lack of scientific literature focused on examining how they relate to success during competition performance. The aim of this study was to investigate different countermovement jump (CMJ)-derived force–time characteristics and their uti...

Although different strategies have been implemented to manage recovery-fatigue status in athletes, there is still a lack of consensus on which recovery protocols have the greatest impact and effectiveness when implemented with basketball players, including both physiological and psychological recovery methods. Thus, the purpose of this systematic r...

Cabarkapa, D, Cabarkapa, DV, Philipp, NM, Knezevic, OM, Mirkov, DM, and Fry, AC. Pre-post practice changes in countermovement vertical jump force-time metrics in professional male basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(11): e609–e612, 2023—Despite the countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) being one of the most popular noninvasive and time-efficie...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute impact of resistance exercise on basketball shooting mechanics and accuracy. Ten resistance-trained recreationally active men with previous basketball playing experience (x̄ ± SD; height = 182.6 ± 9.7 cm; body mass = 79.2 ± 13.9 kg; age = 25.6 ± 5.5 years) performed control, upper-body, and...

Philipp, NM, Crawford, DA, Cabarkapa, D, and Fry, AC. Strength and power thresholds to identify high and low linear sprint speed performers in collegiate American football players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2023—Lower-body strength and power are commonly measured performance qualities across a number of sports. In recent years, more atten...

Chiu, LZF, Fry, AC, Galpin, AJ, Salem, GJ, and Cabarkapa, D. Regulatory light-chain phosphorylation during weightlifting training: association with postactivation performance enhancement. J Strength Cond Res 37(10): e563–e568, 2023—Postactivation performance enhancement has been reported for multijoint resistance exercise, with both neural and intr...

Journal of Australian Strength & Conditioning: The isometric mid-thigh pull test permits the collection of multiple metrics related to athletic performance, such as peak force (PF), time to peak force (TTPF), and force at specific time points (e.g., 100, 150, 200 ms). However, practitioners are often constrained to a weight room setting due to the...

Basketball is a sport that is characterized by various physical performance parameters and motor abilities such as speed, strength, and endurance, which are all underpinned by an athlete’s efficient use of the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). A common assessment to measure SSC efficiency is the countermovement jump (CMJ). When performed on a force p...

The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in kinematic characteristics between (a) proficient and non-proficient two-point and three-point shooters, (b) made and missed two-point and three-point shots within a proficient group of shooters, and (c) shots attempted from two-point and three-point shooting distances. Eighteen recreati...

With technological developments over the last decade, a wide range of countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) force-time metrics can be derived from commercially available portable force plate systems. However, it should be noted that how the test is performed can have a substantial impact on the outcome of the assessment. Thus, the purpose of the pres...

The winning game outcome in basketball is partially contingent on the team's ability to secure and make more free-throw shooting attempts, especially close to the end of the game. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to perform a comprehensive biomechanical analysis of the free-throw shooting motion to examine differences between (a) proficie...

Cabarkapa, D, Eserhaut, DA, Cabarkapa, DV, Philipp, NM, and Fry, AC. Salivary testosterone and cortisol changes during a game in professional male basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1687-1691, 2023-The purpose of this study was to examine acute changes in salivary testosterone (T), cortisol (C), and testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (T/C)...

The countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) is one of the most commonly implemented non-invasive and time-efficient testing modalities for lower-body neuromuscular performance assessment. With more practitioners having access to portable force plates, the purpose of this study was to examine position-specific differences in CVJ force-time metrics withi...

Abstract: Given the multidirectional nature of the sport, handball athletes must frequently perform high-intensity decelerations to avoid defenders, generate space, or perform directional changes. The aim of the present study was twofold: (i) to investigate different kinematic measures of horizontal deceleration performance by comparing the acceler...

The primary aim of the present study was to investigate how the fatigue induced through a repeat sprint protocol acutely affected different measures of neuromuscular performance. Recreationally trained basketball players (n = 25) volunteered to participate in the study, and performed three countermovement jumps (CMJ), as well as three drop jumps (D...

The purpose of the present study was to assess pre-post practice changes in countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) force-time metrics and to determine the relationship between internal and external load variables within a cohort of professional male volleyball players. Ten elite athletes competing in one of the top professional European leagues partic...

With advancements in technology able to quantify wide-ranging features of human movement, the aim of the present study was to investigate the inter-device technological reliability of a three-dimensional markerless motion capture system (3D-MCS), quantifying different movement tasks. A total of 20 healthy individuals performed a test battery consis...

Three-dimensional force plates are important tools for biomechanics discovery and sports performance practice. However, currently, available 3D force plates lack portability and are often cost-prohibitive. To address this, a recently discovered 3D force sensor technology was used in the fabrication of a prototype force plate. Thirteen participants...

With rapid technological development over recent years, the use of wearable athlete monitoring devices has substantially gained popularity. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of the anatomical placement of an accelerometer on biomechanical characteristics of countermovement vertical jump with and without an arm swing w...

Team sports require athletes to rapidly reduce whole body momentum and velocity, to efficiently change direction, or to avoid defenders. Decelerations often occur following varying approach distances and velocities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different sprinting approach distances, and therefore velocities and momenta o...

Despite exponential growth in popularity over the last decade and recently becoming an Olympic sport, the amount of scientific literature focused on depicting a profile of successful 3×3 basketball players is sparse. Thus, the purpose of this study was to present the physical and performance characteristics of professional 3×3 male basketball playe...

The purpose of the present study was (i) to explore the reliability of the most commonly used countermovement jump (CMJ) metrics, and (ii) to reduce a large pool of metrics with acceptable levels of reliability via principal component analysis to the significant factors capable of providing distinctive aspects of CMJ performance. Seventy-nine physi...

Basketball is a sport that relies heavily on an athlete’s ability to rapidly decelerate in order to change direction, avoid a defender, or create space. Recent literature has proposed novel ways of measuring maximal horizontal deceleration using radar technology. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between different countermo...

Knowing how to design training regimens and modify offensive and defensive strategies to accurately resemble on-court competitive demands can help the team secure the winning game outcome. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine differences in game-related statistics between winning and losing teams at the National Collegiate Athletic...

Sontag, SA, Cabarkapa, D, and Fry, AC. Testosterone and cortisol salivary samples are stable across multiple freeze-thaw cycles. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-When processing salivary samples for biomarker analysis, avoiding multiple freeze-thaw cycles is generally recommended. However, confusing tissue handling instructions or challenge...

While being an integral part of both the offensive and defensive segments of the game, the biomechanical parameters of setting motions remain understudied in the scientific literature. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine differences in kinetic and kinematic characteristics between: (a) three types of setting motions (i.e., front,...

Pop time (POP) is the measure of how long it takes a catcher to throw to 2nd base calculated from when the ball arrives in his mitt to when it arrives in the fielder’s glove at 2nd base. It has recently been suggested that greater emphasis should be placed on throwing velocity development instead of the ball exchange and throwing motion. The presen...

Shooting efficiency is one of the key performance parameters related to securing the desired game outcome at various levels of basketball competition, and it is largely influenced by the biomechanical adjustments incorporated during the preparatory and release phase of the shooting motion. Thus, the purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to...

Strength is one of the key physiological performance attributes related to optimal on-court basketball performance. However, there is a lack of scientific literature studying how strength relates to shooting proficiency, as a key basketball skill capable of discriminating winning from losing game outcomes. Thus, the purpose of the present study was...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the repeatability of five algorithm-derived motion health screening scores (i.e., readiness, explosiveness, functionality, quality, and dysfunction) obtained from an innovative three-dimensional markerless motion capture system, composed of eight high-definition cameras recording at 60 fps. Thirteen f...

The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in game-related statistical parameters between National Basketball Association (NBA) regular and post-season competitive periods and to determine which variables have the greatest contribution in discriminating between winning and losing game outcomes. The data scraping technique was used...

The implementation of resistance training to enhance muscular strength alongside other physical performance tasks such as linear speed or agility is a primary goal for strength and conditioning practitioners working with American football athletes. This study aimed to investigate changes in body weight, relative and absolute lower body strength, as...

While the importance of optimal two-point and three-point jump-shooting performance for securing the desired game outcome on various levels of basketball competition has been well documented, there is a limited amount of scientific literature on what biomechanical adjustments in shooting technique comprise the success of each shooting attempt. Ther...

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most common knee injuries in sports that require side-to-side pivoting movements. While the timeline and specific goals during rehabilitation protocols may vary, ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is the preferred procedure necessary to return these athletes to their respective field of play. However,...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between five algorithm-derived functional movement screening scores (i.e., readiness, explosiveness, functionality, dysfunction, and vulnerability) obtained from an innovative three-dimensional markerless motion capture system (3D-MCS) and some of the key health-related physical fitne...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in game-related statistics between home and away games at the NCAA Division-I level of men’s basketball competition. The data scraping technique was used to obtain publicly available box scores during the 2018-19 competitive season. Throughout this period, 2181 home and 2205 away box s...

The purpose of this study was to examine kinetic and kinematic characteristics of various types of 2-point and 3-point basketball shooting approaches and determine which variables have the greatest contribution in discriminating proficient (PRO) from non-proficient (N-PRO) shooters. While standing on a force plate, twenty-nine recreationally active...

Detecting the magnitude of compression or shear events can provide valuable data to assess forces experienced by sensitive equipment or even the human body. Compression sensors have historically had limited use in fields such as wearable technology due to the large size of the sensors, lack of 3D sensing capacity, need for rigid components, or sign...