Analysis of Bioenergetics and Fatigue Responses in Basketball (TEAM)

NCT07250555 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: The TEAM trial
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aims of the study are:

1. 1.To examine skeletal muscle and blood metabolites during an official basketball game and to relate those to skeletal muscle performance during and after the game.
2. 2.To investigate whether skeletal muscle and blood metabolites are related to game-induced fatigue.
3. 3.To relate field activity during a basketball game with the responses of skeletal muscle and blood metabolites.
4. 4.To investigate how blood lactate reflects muscle lactate concentration during a basketball game.
5. 5.To determine whether temporary fatigue develops during a basketball game. game.

Conditions

Metabolic Stress

Keywords

basketball; performance; blood metabolites; skeletal muscle metabolism

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (12)

• Measurement of countermovement jump height

  Will be measured using a force platform system

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Bilateral strength peak force and rate of force development on mid-thigh pull

  Will be measured using a dynamometer.

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of maximal sprinting speed over 5 meters

  5-m sprinting speed will be assessed on the basketball court using infrared photocells

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of maximal sprinting speed over 20 meters

  20-m sprinting speed will be assessed on the basketball court using infrared photocells

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of the capacity to perform repeated sprints

  5 x 20m repeated maximal sprints will be performed with 25 sec rest in between. Speed will be recorded using infrared photocells

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of field activity variables during the basketball game

  Field activity will be continuously recorded during the basketball game using a microsensor inertial measurement unit (Kinexon Perform IMU).

  Continuous monitoring during each 40-minute game.

• Measurement of heart rate during the basketball game ad recording the average and maximal heart rate of the game.

  Field activity will be continuously recorded during the basketball game using a Team Polar Pro heart rate monitor.

  Continuous monitoring during each 40-minute game.

• Measurement of skeletal muscle glycogen content

  Will be assessed on muscle biopsy samples. Muscle glycogen content will be determined spectrophotometrically.

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of skeletal muscle fiber-type distribution and fiber-type- specific glycogen content.

  Will be assessed on muscle biopsy samples by histochemical analysis

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of skeletal muscle phosphocreatine levels

  Will be assessed on muscle biopsy samples by a flurometric assay.

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of skeletal muscle lactate

  Will be assessed on muscle biopsy samples by a flurometric assay.

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

• Measurement of effort and fatigue

  Will be measured by using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale

  Change from baseline to the: a. 20th minute (half-time) and 40th minute (end of the game) (N=10), b. 5th minute (mid-1st period) and 25th minute (mid-3rd period) (N=10) and c. 15th minute (mid-2nd period) and 35th minute (mid-4th period) (N=10).

Secondary Outcomes (24)

• Body mass

  Change from baseline (pre-game) to 40 minutes of the game

• Body height

  At baseline

• Body mass index (BMI)

  At baseline

• Body fat (BF)

  At baseline

• Fat mass (FM)

  At baseline

Study Arms (1)

BASKETBALL GROUP

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: BASKETBALL GAME

Interventions

BASKETBALL GAME OTHER

Participants will arrive 1.5 hours pre-game for initial vastus lateralis muscle biopsies and blood sampling under local anesthesia (20 mg/ml xylocaine without adrenalin). They will be fitted with IMU sensors and heart rate monitors. Volunteers are randomly assigned to teams(6 teams) for a full 40-minute game. During the match, physiological measurements will be performed at fixed times (pre, at half-time, and post-match) and after intense exercise periods (HR\>90% max, high-speed runs\>18km/h) within the four 10-min periods. Three groups provide samples: Group 1 (n=15): rest, half-time, end-game. Group 2 (n=8): rest, post-intense period in 1st/3rd periods. Group 3 (n=7): rest, post-intense period in 2nd/4th periods. Ten players serve as substitutes. Games will start at 17.00 - 18 p.m. to avoid diurnal variations and will be held under normal environmental conditions. A standardized 30-min warm-up period will be performed before each game.

BASKETBALL GROUP

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Health status: were free of recent musculoskeletal injuries and/or illnesses (≥ 8 months before the study).
• Not consuming ergogenic supplements/medications (≥ 6 months before the study)
• Not smokers

You may not qualify if:

• Completion of the pre-determined participation time during the experimental game.
• Completion of all field measurements.
• Completion of all pre-determined sampling points for biological tissue.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Thessaly: lead
• University of Southern Denmark: collaborator
• Democritus University of Thrace: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Thessaly, Department of Physical Education and Sports Science

Trikala, Thessaly, 42100, Greece

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Ioannis G Fatouros, Professor

CONTACT

+302431047047; ifatouros@uth.gr

Athanasios Chatzinicolaou, Professor

CONTACT

+30 25310 39632; achatzin@phyed.duth.gr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2025
• First Posted: November 26, 2025
• Study Start: May 30, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2025
• Study Completion: February 28, 2026
• Last Updated: November 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GR (1)