Energetic Profile of the Basketball Exercise Simulation Test in Junior Elite Players

Purpose : To analyze the energetic profile of the Basketball Exercise Simulation Test (BEST). Methods : Ten male elite junior basketball players (age 15.5 [0.6] y, height 180 [9] cm, and body mass 66.1 [11.2] kg) performed a modified BEST (20 circuits consisting of jumping, sprinting, jogging, shuffling, and short breaks) simulating professional basketball game play. Circuit time, sprint time, sprint decrement, oxygen uptake (VO 2 ), heart rate, and blood lactate concentration (blc) were obtained. Metabolic energy and metabolic power above rest ( W tot and P tot ), as well as energy share in terms of aerobic ( W aer ), glycolytic ( W blc ), and high-energy phosphates ( W PCr ), were calculated from VO 2 during exercise, net lactate production, and the fast component of postexercise VO 2 kinetics, respectively. Results : W aer , W blc , and W PCr reflect 89% (2%), 5% (1%), and 6% (1%) of total energy needed, respectively. Assuming an aerobic replenishment of PCr energy stores during short breaks, the adjusted energy share yielded W aer 66% (4%), W blc 5% (1%), and W PCr 29% (1%). W aer and W PCr were negatively correlated (−0.72 and −0.59) with sprint time, which was not the case for W blc . Conclusions : Consistent with general findings on energy system interaction during repeated high-intensity exercise bouts, the intermittent profile of the BEST relies primarily on aerobic energy combined with repetitive supplementation by anaerobic utilization of high-energy phosphates.