title: Blood metabolites during basketball competitions.
abstract: This study examined basketball game blood hormonal and metabolite responses in 38 (8 guards, 18 forwards, and 12 centers) male national elite-junior players (age, 18.2 +/- 0.5 years; height, 1.89 +/- 0.1 m; body mass, 80.3 +/- 6.7 kg; body fat, 8.2 +/- 5.6%; maximum oxygen uptake Vo2max], 52.8 +/- 2.4 mlxkgxmin). At the moment of the investigation, players had 8 +/- 1.6 years of competitive experience. Blood samples were collected at the beginning, at halftime, and at fulltime of 6 junior competitive games (Tunisian under 19 basketball championship). Game intensity was assessed monitoring heart rates (HR). During the game, players attained 93 +/- 2% of maximal HR. Triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA) concentrations significantly increased during the game, most markedly so in the second half. Postgame TG and FFA concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively) lower for guards (1.48 +/- 0.22 and 0.88 +/- 0.14 mmolxL, respectively) than for centers (1.88 +/- 0.30 and 1.08 +/- 0.09 mmolxL, respectively). Plasma glucose significantly increased at halftime (from 4.05 +/- 1.27 to 5.98 +/- 0.88 mmolxL; p < 0.001) but decreased in the second half. Serum insulin (INS) progressively decreased for all players during the game, whereas serum cortisol increased at the end of the first half (from 333 +/- 129 to 487 +/- 209 nmolxL; p < 0.001) to remain increased throughout the second half.Basketball game demands seem to induce significant metabolic-hormonal changes on players. Higher values of HR and glycemia were observed in the first half, but a more important increase of lipolytic variables was recorded in the second half. Changes in metabolic markers are role-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity and Sports, ISSEP, Ksar-Saïd, Tunis, University La Manouba, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nidhal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Abdelkrim
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Fazaa
authors.forename: Zouhaier
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tabka
authors.forename: Jalila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: El Ati
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D006854:Hydrocortisone