## 4 Discussion
Nevertheless, it has to be highlighted that the remaining jumping measures (relative peak power, peak velocity, contact time, RSI) weren't significantly correlated. This indicates that more in-depth research evaluating various measures of jumping performance and MAT time is required to draw conclusions. Concerning the relationship between MAT time and linear sprint, a study by [PERSON] et al. [16] and the current ones consistently show no correlation with the 5 m distance. However, [PERSON] et al. [16], contrary to [PERSON] et al. [12], showed a largely positive relationship between 10 m linear sprint and MAT time. Additionally, the current study found no association between 20 m and MAT time. That is surprising because the MAT test starts with a 5 m linear sprint. Therefore, since the longest distance is covered by the shuffle (10 m) compared to the linear sprint (5 m) and the backward run (5 m), it seems that MAT time can be mostly related to lateral movements. However, a study by [PERSON] et al. [16] did not confirm this, showing a small association between the MAT time and lateral bound distance. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the tests were performed only on the dominant leg, which is a significant limitation because MAT involves bidirectional lateral movements. Additionally, to the best of the authors' knowledge, it was the first study that examined the relationship between athlete's abductors and adductors' MIS and MAT time. The results indicated a significant moderate to a large negative correlation between adductors of both lower limbs and MAT time. This may suggest that, rather than using complex movement measures such as the repeated lateral bounds used by [PERSON] et al. [16], isolated measurement of the adductors' and abductors' strength is advisable in order to look for an association with MAT time. Additionally, the large and very large relationship between leg press peak power and MAT time found in the current study can confirm this. Presumably, this is the first study that examined the relationship between male basketball players' strength and power characteristics and the MAT, depending on which side the first turn was initiated. Interestingly, a very large negative correlation was noted between abductors' MIS of both lower limbs and MAT to the right first. However, with MAT to the left first, the correlations were weaker, and only a moderate negative correlation was found with left leg hip abductors' MIS. Moreover, the regression models also differ depending on which side the first turn was initiated on. Thus, these findings highlight the first direction as a differentiating factor of MAT performance. Despite that, it has to be noted that the dominant leg (left for athletes of this study, as the preferable take-off leg during jumping) strength-power characteristics were crucial, no matter on which side the MAT was initiated. Interestingly, studies investigating the relationship between athletes' strength and power characteristics and MAT performance considered trials performed only on the dominant leg or athletes' left side [7,16]. Indeed, the distance covered by each leg as a leading and supporting one is the same regardless of which side the first turn is performed, and changes of direction alternate between legs which may mask any differences between the ability to change direction. However, when turning to the left first, the leading leg for the first 2.5 m is the left leg, and then the right initiates the movement for another 5 m, then the following change occurs, and again for 2.5 m, the left leads. Therefore, the first turn determines which leg will lead for a longer time. Moreover, when turning to the left first, the right leg is the push-off limb twice (during the first and third turn). All athletes in this study were left-leg dominant. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that during the MAT initiated to the right first, the left leg hip educators and adductors' MIS largely explain the time of this test.