Balancing Performance and Recovery in Mexico’s Top Basketball League

Arnau Pina is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Halcones de Xalapa, a basketball team competing in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, Mexico’s top professional basketball league.

In this interview, Arnau talks about how he uses Firstbeat Sports on a daily basis and how he communicates the data to the players.

Arnau’s Coaching Journey – From Europe to Latin America

As a 28-year-old strength and conditioning coach, Arnau Pina’s journey has taken him from Spain, Sweden, and Denmark to Mexico, working across professional basketball teams. With a Bachelor’s degree in sports science and two Master’s degrees, Arnau has also found great success in Mexico, with his team clinching one league title and two cup titles.

Now working with Halcones de Xalapa, Arnau’s role involves navigating the intense demands of the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA), the highest-level league in the Americas. Last season Halcones made history as the first Mexican team to reach the Final Four.

Optimizing Player Performance with Firstbeat

Arnau has used Firstbeat Sports as his primary load management tool for two seasons. In Mexico, basketball teams often face demanding schedules, with up to 50 games played over just five months, often in a back-to-back format. For Arnau, the need for precise data to manage players’ performance became non-negotiable. He says:

“When I signed in Mexico, I knew we had to raise our game in terms of performance and recovery. Firstbeat was a great fit for that.”

Arnau integrates Firstbeat into his daily routine to ensure the team is hitting the right intensity levels. He explains, “I use it to monitor practice load in real-time. It helps us adjust on the go, ensuring that we reach the load we planned for, and to make sure every player can handle that load.”

Most Useful Firstbeat Metrics

With a strong background in sports science, Arnau appreciates the simplicity and effectiveness of Firstbeat’s features. “TRIMP, HRV, Movement Load, and the relationship between internal and external load are essential for us. They’re easy to understand, not just for the coaching staff but also for the players, which is something other brands can’t say.”

Communicating the Data to the Players

To gain athlete buy-in and communicate the data with the players, Arnau shares his daily and weekly reports with them. He says, “I think this kind of action helps the performance and medical staff to be more trusted. From earning the respect and trust of the players, we create a relationship where they believe in us and they know we want the best for them. In LATAM, where most of the leagues are shorter than Europe (around 3 to 6 months), we believe this is a key point.”

Having good relationships with players and being open with the data is important as the demands of the game change. Arnau has observed that basketball is becoming more physically demanding, with players facing higher injury risks due to the increasing intensity of games.

For him, focusing on recovery and a multidisciplinary approach involving nutritionists, psychologists, and medical staff are key components to keeping athletes in peak condition. Arnau also utilizes Firstbeat to help bring athletes back from injuries.

“In the return to play phase, we use Firstbeat to ensure that the player is ready to perform again in the same way. In particular, we use it to track all HR variables to establish a good aerobic and anaerobic performance before we put him in a game environment again, making sure the player is around 90% ready in comparison with the performance he had before the injury.”

Arnau explains that players are also under more pressure due to travel demands and busy schedules. “Basketball is a business, and every year players face more travel and tighter schedules. That’s why tracking what players do on and off the court is critical for their longevity.”

For Arnau Pina and Halcones de Xalapa, Firstbeat Sports has become an essential tool for optimizing training and recovery, helping the team manage the high demands of professional basketball.

If you want to learn more about how to use Firstbeat in professional basketball to optimize training and performance, download our free training load guide for basketball coaches.