Physiological Responses to Basketball-Specific Interval Exercise in Female Basketball Players

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1): The intervention consists of the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1), a standardized maximal intermittent field exercise test designed to reproduce the physiological demands of intermittent team sports such as basketball. Participants perform repeated 20-meter shuttle runs at progressively increasing speeds, guided by audio signals, with 10-second active recovery periods between running bouts. The test continues until volitional exhaustion or until the participant is unable to maintain the required running pace according to the test protocol. The Yo-Yo IR1 is used to induce acute physiological stress for the assessment of metabolic, inflammatory, and fatigue-related responses.

Study summary

This study aims to evaluate the effects of interval exercise on metabolic and inflammatory responses, energy substrate utilization, and fatigue in trained female basketball players. High-intensity intermittent exercise is a key component of basketball performance and induces substantial metabolic and physiological stress. However, the acute relationships between exercise-induced metabolic changes, inflammatory responses, substrate utilization, and fatigue in female basketball players remain insufficiently understood.

In this prospective interventional study, eligible female basketball players will complete a standardized interval exercise protocol designed to replicate the physiological demands of competitive basketball. Physiological, biochemical, and perceptual measurements will be collected before exercise, immediately after exercise, and during recovery. Primary outcomes include changes in metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, energy substrate utilization, and fatigue-related responses. Secondary outcomes include selected physiological and performance-related variables associated with recovery from high-intensity interval exercise.

The findings of this study will improve the understanding of the physiological responses to interval exercise in female basketball players and may contribute to the development of evidence-based training and recovery strategies aimed at optimizing performance and athlete health.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Concentration — Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately after exercise, and 1 hour after exercise.
  Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration will be measured to assess the acute inflammatory response induced by the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1). The outcome will be expressed as the change in IL-6 concentration across the predefined assessment time points.
• Change in Blood Lactate Concentration — Baseline and immediately after exercise.
  Blood lactate concentration measured from capillary blood as an indicator of anaerobic metabolism following high-intensity intermittent exercise.
• Change in reaction time — Baseline and immediately post-exercise.
  Visual reaction time will be assessed as an indicator of neuromotor performance and central fatigue.

Trial sites (1)

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