Changes of blood lactate and glucose variables of elite female basketball players during competition

Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry 1997;1(1):69-86.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend of physiological and competitive record data of basketball players` during games. More specifically its support for improvement of performance estimating the contribution of energy system, the basic data of fitness training, the applicapability of ergoenic aid, and the finding of substitution period due to fatigue during the game. 21 female basketball players` are paticipated in this study. Blood lactate and glucose were analyzed by using the method of finger tip at every 5-mins` during 1st and 2nd half and the beginning and the end of each half. The Polar was used for th measurement of HR and Borg`15-level evaluation for RPE. In addition, to understand the degree of offensive-contribution and defensive-contribution during the game official recorder recorded and evaluated the game. The results are as follows. First, HR change during the game is showed averagely 158.30bpm in 1st half and 161.27 bpm in the 2nd half. It means that the players carried out the game relatively in the high level at about 82% of MHR. However, it decreased fast to the warm-up level, 90.71 bpm after 15-min rest. In addition, it represented that there was no significant difference between 1st and 2nd half and between each position within the groups. Second, the change of lactic acid in blood was 1.21mmol/l after warm-up, 2.66mmol/l in 1st half, and 1.80mmol/l in 2nd half, It shows that the players performed in less than 4mmol/l, anaerobic thrshold. Thus, there was a difference between 1st and 2nd half, but not a signficant differance between each position. Third, glucose in blood was gradually increased from 98.26㎎/dl after warm-up to 127.65±65㎎/dl at about 15-min of 1st half, and then it began to decrease to 96.50㎎/dl at about 10-min of the 2nd half, afterwards it was increased again to the level of the rest period. It shows there was a significant difference between 1st and 2nd half, but not a significant difference between each position as well. Forth, the results of the test of the subjecteve kinesthetic sense based on RPE during the game shwed 13.81 placed between somewhat hard and hard in 1st half and 15.68 placed between hard and very hard in 2nd half. It ways that the subjective kinesthetic sense was generally kept at the high level during the game. In conclusion, metabolic variation in blood needed during the basketball tends to be rapidly increased at the beginning of the game, and then decreased to the rest level. And cardiopulmonary system or RPE was kept considerably at the high level. The degree of defense and offense contribution was changed variously following the situation of the opposite team, but it represents that the players emphasized on the offense in 1st half and the defense in 2nd half. However, it needs more studies to find out the relationship between this results and the fitness factor. Therefore, since the basketball has an intermittent characterristic which includes a frequent momentary change, it needs the fitness training that being consisted of various aerobic and anaerobic training. In the training method, it needs the training process which is from the whole fitness to specific fitness to improve general physical ability. Then it will be successful to accelerate the improvement in game without injury.