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Physiological responses to ball-drills in regional level male basketball players

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Physiological responses to ball-drills in regional level

male basketball players
a b c d
Carlo Castagna , Franco M. Impellizzeri , Anis Chaouachi , Nidhal Ben Abdelkrim &
a
Vincenzo Manzi
a
School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
b
Research & Development, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland
c
Research Laboratory: Sports Performance Optimisation, National Centre of Medicine and
Science in Sports (CNMSS, Tunis, Tunisia
d
Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Mannouba, Tunis, Tunisia

Available online: 21 Jul 2011

To cite this article: Carlo Castagna, Franco M. Impellizzeri, Anis Chaouachi, Nidhal Ben Abdelkrim & Vincenzo Manzi (2011):
Physiological responses to ball-drills in regional level male basketball players, Journal of Sports Sciences, 29:12, 1329-1336

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 Journal of Sports Sciences, September 2011; 29(12): 1329–1336

Physiological responses to ball-drills in regional level male

basketball players

CARLO CASTAGNA1, FRANCO M. IMPELLIZZERI2, ANIS CHAOUACHI3,

NIDHAL BEN ABDELKRIM4, & VINCENZO MANZI1
1
School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, 2Research & Development, Schulthess
Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland, 3Research Laboratory: Sports Performance Optimisation, National Centre of Medicine and
Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia, and 4Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Mannouba, Tunis,
Tunisia
Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012

(Accepted 13 June 2011)

Abstract
The main aim of this study was to assess the physiological responses of male basketball players during usual basketball ball-
drills. Fourteen male basketball players (age 18.9 + 2.3 years) performed the following full-court (28 6 15 m) basketball
ball-drills (3 6 4-min with 3-min passive rest): five-a-side (5v5), three-a-side (3v3) and two-a-side (2v2). A main effect
(P 5 0.0001) for ball-drills modes was evident for all variables (5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2). Mean V_ O2 during the 5v5, 3v3 and 2v2
were 39.0 + 7.2, 42.0 + 7.5 and 45.0 + 6.5 ml  kg71  min71 (69 + 11, 74 + 12 and 79 + 11% of V_ O2peak) respectively
(5v5 ¼ 3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.001). Mean blood-lactate concentrations for 5v5, 3v3 and 2v2 were 4.2 + 1.8, 6.2 + 2.3 and
7.8 + 1.2 mmol (l71 respectively (5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.01). During the 5v5, 3v3 and 2v2 mean heart-rate (HR) was
84.0 + 9.2, 88.0 + 8.4 and 92.0 + 5.6% of the individual peak respectively (5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2; P 5 0.001). No significant
differences were found between the regression-line slope (P ¼ 0.86) and intercept (P ¼ 0.45) of the HR-V_ O2 relationships of
the multistage maximal fitness test (r2 from 0.80 to 0.96, P 5 0.001) and ball-drills (r2 from 0.70 to 0.95, P 5 0.001)
conditions. Reducing the number of players over the same playing court resulted in increments in physiological demands.
The 2v2 condition provided responses in the range of those reported to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness. The aerobic
demands of ball-drills can be accurately assessed using heart-rate monitoring in basketball.

Keywords: Team sports, fitness, oxygen uptake, heart rate, training load

inter-individual differences were shown to be related

Introduction
Basketball is considered to be an intermittent high-
intensity activity that heavily stresses either the aerobic
or anaerobic pathways (Ben Abdelkrim, El Fazaa, & El
Ati, 2007; McInnes, Carlson, Jones, & McKenna,
1995; Narazaki, Berg, Stergiou, & Chen, 2008; Ziv &
Lidor, 2009). Indeed, average game heart-rates (HR)
and blood lactate concentrations have been reported to
range between 89–95% and 52–56%, respectively, of
the individual maximal (Ben Abdelkrim et al., 2007;
Matthew & Delextrat, 2009; Ziv & Lidor, 2009). In
male basketball games, Ben Abdelkrim, Castagna,
Jabri, Battikh, El Fazaa, and El Ati (2010) reported a
mean work-to-rest ratio of 1:3.6 with a higher value
recorded in the first half compared to the second half.
Recent basketball studies suggested that aerobic
fitness should be developed during training as the
to high-intensity activities performed during the game
(Ben Abdelkrim et al., 2007; Matthew & Delextrat,
2009). Specifically Matthew and Delextrat (2009)
showed that maximal aerobic speed was significantly
related to sprint frequency, with this ability consid-
ered to play a key role in modern basketball (Castagna
et al., 2007b, 2008a; Ziv & Lidor, 2009).
Interestingly, in their team handball study, Buch-
heit et al. (2009) showed the likelihood (i.e. practical
significance) of a superior effect of the small-sided
games training intervention on the ability to repeat
sprint when compared to generic training (i.e.
interval running). This provided similar improve-
ments in aerobic fitness for soccer athletes when
compared to generic aerobic training (Impellizzeri
et al., 2006; Buchheit et al., 2009; Hill-Haas, Coutts,
Rowsell, & Dawson, 2009a).

Correspondence: C. Castagna, University of Rome Tor Vergata, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Villa Gentile, Rome, 60131 Italy.
E-mail: castagnac@libero.it
ISSN 0264-0414 print/ISSN 1466-447X online Ó 2011 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.597418
 1330 C. Castagna et al.
Sport specific conditioning methods in the form of
ball-drills have been reported to be effective in
achieving the training intensities required to promote
aerobic-fitness in soccer, team hand-ball and rugby-
league (Buchheit et al., 2009; Foster, Twist, Lamb,
& Nicholas, 2010; Impellizzeri et al., 2006;
Rampinini et al., 2007; Stone & Kilding, 2009).
These studies reported that reducing the number of
players may cause the exercise heart-rate to exceed
90% of the individual maximal (Buchheit et al.,
2009; Foster et al., 2010; Rampinini et al., 2007;
Stone & Kilding, 2009).
Furthermore training studies have demonstrated
the effectiveness of small-sided games in improving
aerobic-fitness and game performance in soccer
Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012
(Impellizzeri et al., 2006).
Basketball coaches are commonly reported to use
various forms of court-drills in order to induce
specific physical and skill adaptations to players
(Taylor, 2004). However, despite evidence of the
importance of aerobic-fitness in basketball, no
systematic study has been performed with the aim
of evaluating the physiological demands of small-
sided games in basketball (Castagna et al., 2005; Ziv
& Lidor, 2009). Consequently information concern-
ing the physiological response of ball-drills in basket-
ball has a practical interest for training prescription
(Stone & Kilding, 2009).
Basketball, like other team-sports can be consid-
ered as a casually intermittent activity (Castagna,
D’Ottavio, Granda-Vera, & Barbero-Alvarez, 2009b;
Stone & Kilding, 2009; Ziv & Lidor, 2009). As a
result, exercise intensity is difficult to objectively
evaluate during court-drills (Impellizzeri, Rampinini,
Coutts, Sassi, & Marcora, 2004 ; Manzi et al., 2009).
Team-sports studies have proposed the use of heart-
rates as a valid measure of aerobic metabolism
during actual playing (Stone & Kilding, 2009).
However despite the widespread use of heart-rate
monitoring in basketball no study has investigated
the validity of its use as reflection of oxygen uptake
(V_ O2) in basketball (Ziv & Lidor, 2009). This may
be of interest as heart-rate is reportedly affected by
psychological and thermal stress along with dehydra-
tion during team sport competitions, thus potentially
overestimating aerobic involvement during exercise
(Stolen, Chamari, Castagna, & Wisloff, 2005; Ziv &
Lidor, 2009).
Therefore, the first aim of this study was to
examine the physiological responses of commonly
used basketball ball-drills in experienced basketball
players. The second aim of this study was to assess
the validity of the use of heart-rate as indirect
measure of aerobic involvement during ball-drills.
It was hypothesised that by reducing the number of
players over a regular-size court, the physiological
demands may progressively increase.
Methods
Participants
Fourteen male (seven guards, three centres and four
forwards) junior basketball players (age 18.9 + 2.3
years, stature 184.7 + 5.9 cm, body mass 74.4 + 5.1
kg, experience 8 + 3 years) were randomly drawn
from a population of basketball players (Adriatica
Basket, Porto Recanati, Italy). Players were all
starters and members of successful teams in their
regional-level championships (Castagna, Chaouachi,
Rampinini, Chamari, & Impellizzeri, 2009a) at the
time of the study. Written informed consent was
received from all players and parents after verbal
and written explanation of the experimental design
and potential risks of the study. Participants were
told they were free to withdraw from the study at any
time without penalty. The local Institutional Review
Board approved this study design. All participants
were familiarised with the methods and procedures
used.
Experimental design
To examine the demands of ball-drills an observa-
tional within-subjects design was used. Players
performed (at least 24 hours apart) the following
full-court (28 6 15 m) basketball ball-drills in ran-
dom order and on separate occasions (3 6 4 min
with 3 min rest between bouts): five-a-side (5v5),
three-a-side (3v3) and two-a-side (2v2) (Castagna,
Impellizzeri, Rampinini, D’Ottavio, & Manzi,
2008b; Coutts, Rampinini, Marcora, Castagna, &
Impellizzeri, 2009; Rampinini et al., 2007). These
ball-drills (3v3 and 2v2 full-court drills) were
selected because they are representative of typical
practice drills (Ben Abdelkrim, Castagna, El Fazaa,
Tabka, & El Ati, 2009; Ziv & Lidor, 2009).
Between all the ball-drill bouts, only passive
recovery was undertaken by players (Buchheit
et al., 2009; Dellal et al., 2008). This was to avoid
possible effects of recovery activity on the demands
of ball-drills. To standardise the tactical-technical
strategies only a man-to-man defence system was
employed across the ball-drills.
All the assessments were performed at the same
time of the day (from 5.00 to 7.00 pm) and players
were blinded about the aims of the study. All the
testing procedures were completed in June–July, one
week after the play-off phase of the basketball
competitive season. The training schedule during
the competitive season consisted of five training
sessions (*90 min each session) with a competitive
game played during the end of the week. The overall
weekly training volume included: 90 min for strength
and conditioning (power, speed, and endurance),
240 min for technical-tactical training, 90 min for a

training game and 90 min for a championship game.
During the period of the investigation players were
not doing any specific basketball training other than
ball-drills and self-selected strength and conditioning
programs to maintain fitness levels.
Physiological assessments
The demands of ball-drills were assessed examining
heart-rate, V_ O2, blood-lactate concentrations and
rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
The heart-rate and V_ O2 were monitored (every
5s) during each ball-drill condition according to
the methods of Castagna et al. (2007a, 2009b). The
blood-lactate concentration and RPE (Category Rate
Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012
Scale 1–10) were assessed immediately at the end of
each ball-drill (Börg, 1998; Coutts et al., 2009;
Rampinini et al., 2007).
For exercise mode specificity, peak V_ O2 (V_ O2peak)
and heart-rate (HRpeak) were determined using the
‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ on a wooden basketball-
court (Bangsbo, 1994a; Buchheit, 2008; Castagna
et al., 2007a; Leger & Lambert, 1982; Ramsbottom,
Brewer, & Williams, 1988).
Peak V_ O2 and heart-rate were considered as the
highest 15 s and 5 s values achieved at exhaustion
during the ‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ respectively
(Castagna et al., 2007a, 2009b). At exhaustion all
players were able to meet at least two of the three
following criteria: heart-rate higher than the 220-age
formula; respiratory exchange ratio higher than 1.1,
plateauing of V_ O2 despite ‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’
speed increase (Castagna et al., 2007a, 2009b).
The V_ O2 was assessed using a breath-by-breath
portable gas analyser (K4b2, COSMED, Rome,
Italy) during the ‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ and ball-
drills. Only one player per condition (i.e. 3 6 4 min)
was monitored for V_ O2 consumption and each ball-
drill situation (i.e. 5v5, 3v3 and 2v2) was replicated
to allow the repeated measurement design consid-
ered here (14 cases). Players (n ¼ 14) were casually
rotated across each ball-drill condition to provide
internal-validity for the study.
The physiological profiles of the variables of
interest were monitored by telemetry throughout
the ‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ and ball-drills. Data
were stored on a laptop computer for post-hoc
analyses using dedicated software (K4b2, software
7.1 version, COSMED, Rome, Italy). To avoid
disruption in play no free throws were awarded and
the ball was replaced as soon as out of play during
ball-drills (Rampinini et al., 2007). The blood-
lactate concentration was assessed analysing earlobe
blood-samples with the Lactate-Pro system (Arkray,
Tokyo, Japan). Oxygen uptake and heart-rate values
were averaged over the 4 min of each bout in
each ball-drill condition. Criterion validity was
Ball-drills in basketball 1331
determined comparing ball-drills and ‘‘multi-stage
fitness test’’ physiological variables. Reliability of the
variables of interest was assessed as coefficient of
variation (CV) prior to the experimentation. The CV
values ranged from 1.4 to 2.5% (Nevill & Atkinson,
1997).
Statistical analyses
Data is presented as mean + standard deviation.
Before using parametric statistical test procedures,
the assumptions of normality and sphericity were
verified. Statistical significance was set at P 5 0.05.
Comparisons between two variables were performed
with paired t-tests. A 2-way analysis of variance for
repeated measures (ANOVA 3 6 3, ball-drill 6 bout
design) was used to detect differences in the objective
measures of physiological demand during the ball-
drills. When a significant F value was found,
Bonferroni’s post-hoc tests were applied. Effect size
as measured by Cohen’s d were assessed to describe
the practical difference between variables (Cohen,
1988). Associations between variables were assessed
using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and regres-
sion analyses. According to Hopkins (2002) the
magnitudes for correlation coefficients were consid-
ered as trivial (r 5 0.1), small (0.1 5 r 5 0.3) mod-
erate (0.3 5 r 5 0.5), large (0.5 5 r 5 0.7), very large
(0.7 5 r 5 0.9), nearly perfect (r 4 0.9) and perfect
(r ¼ 1). Comparisons between Pearson’s correlation
coefficient were performed after Fisher’s transforma-
tion (Thomas, Nelson, & Silverman, 2005).
Results
Participants’ V_ O2peak was 56.6 + 8.6 ml  kg71 
min71. No significant bout effect was found in each
ball-drill mode, consequently data are presented as
mean of three bouts for any of the variables of interest.
A main effect (P 5 0.0001) for ball-drill mode was
evident for all variables. Mean V_ O2 during the 5v5,
3v3 and 2v2 was 39.0 + 7.2, 42.0 + 7.5 and
45.0 + 6.5 ml  kg71  min71, respectively (5v5 ¼
3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.001). The corresponding values
expressed as %V_ O2peak were 69 + 11, 74 + 12 and
79 + 11% respectively (see Figure 1). During the 5v5,
3v3 and 2v2 mean heart-rate was 84.0 + 9.2,
88.0 + 8.4 and 92.0 + 5.6% of HRpeak respectively
(5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.001, Figures 2 and 3). Mean
blood-lactate concentration during the 5v5, 3v3 and
2v2 was 4.2 + 1.8, 6.2 + 2.3 and 7.8 + 1.2 mmol (l71
respectively (5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.01). The RPE
at the end of the ball-drills were 4.5 + 1.8, 5.8 + 1.1
and 6.8 + 1.5 for the 5v5, 3v3 and 2v2 conditions,
respectively (5v5 5 3v3 5 2v2, P 5 0.001).
No significant difference was found between
‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ (r2 from 0.80 to 0.96,
 1332 C. Castagna et al.
P 5 0.001) and ball-drills (r2 from 0.70 to 0.95,
P 5 0.001) regression-line slopes (P ¼ 0.86) or inter-
cepts (P ¼ 0.45) of the HR-V_ O2 relationships.
Discussion
This is the first study to examine the physiological
demands of basketball ball-drills. The main finding
of this study was that ball-drills involving man-to-
man style defence spontaneously played with only a
limited manipulation of standard rules (i.e. no free
throw and time-outs allowance) elicited physiological
responses in the range of those reported to induce
improvement in aerobic-fitness in team-sport players
(Castagna et al., 2005; Stone & Kilding, 2009).
Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012
Figure 1. Plot of percentage of peak values for HR and V_ O2
values. *** ¼ significantly different from the corresponding ball-
drill at P 5 0.001 level. Only negative and positive error bars were
reported.
Figure 2. Profile of heart-rates and V_ O2 of a player (A.L.) performing a 5v5 drill.
During the 5v5 condition players attained 84.0 +
9.2% of their HRpeak. This is similar to that reported
by McInnes et al. (1995) in professional basketball
and by Castagna et al. (2008b) in young male basket-
ballers. Furthermore, the corresponding %V_ O2peak
value (69.0 + 10.7%) was similar to that found by
Narazaki et al. (2008) in non competitive basketball
(i.e. scrimmage). Interestingly Narazaki et al. (2008)
reported an average game V_ O2 of 36.9 + 2.6
ml  kg71  min71 (64.7 + 7.0 %V_ O2max) with a
blood-lactate concentration of 4.2 + 1.3 mmol  l71,
a figure quite similar to the findings of this study
(39 + 7.2 ml  kg71  min71, 69 + 10.7% and
4.2 + 1.8 mmol  l71, respectively). In light of these
results it could be speculated that experienced players
need a V_ O2max higher than 50 ml  kg71  min71
(i.e. 90% level of confidence 39 þ 1.65  7.2 ¼ 50.88
ml  kg71  min71) to play competitive basketball
(Castagna et al., 2009b). However it is possible that
the apparatus used, influencing ball-drill activities,
did not provide an accurate measure of energy
demands associated with playing. This would suggest
that actual ball-drill demands may be even higher in a
training set-up. Although more focused studies are
warranted, this information is of interest for strength
and conditioning professionals to guide training
prescription (Taylor, 2004; Ziv & Lidor, 2009).
The average V_ O2 reported for the 5v5 condition
was lower than the value reported by Castagna et al.
(2009b) in professional futsal (i.e. 5-a-side soccer).
Indeed, in that study, futsal players exercised at 75%
of their V_ O2max with a relative V_ O2 value of 48.6
ml  kg71  min71. In the Castagna et al. (2009b)
study, the futsal players attained a higher %HRmax
(i.e. 90 vs. 84.0 + 9.2%) and blood-lactate

Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012
Figure 3. Profile of heart-rates and V_ O2 of a player (A.L.) performing a 2v2 drill.
concentration (5.3 vs. 4.2 + 1.8 mmol  l71). These
differences in physiological responses may be due to
the higher number of players per court-dimension
(40 6 20 m vs. 28 6 15 m) ratio, that perhaps
magnified the result in futsal, if the limited space
coverage of the goalkeeper is considered (Barbero-
Alvarez et al., 2008; Castagna et al., 2009b). The
similarities in physiological responses of the 3v3 and
2v2 condition with futsal supports the effect of the
number of players per court-dimension ratio on drill
demands (Rampinini et al., 2007). These findings
may be of specific interest for training prescription
during the competitive season and also during the
off-season period when fitness maintenance may be
provided with team-sport-like activities (e.g. scrim-
mage) (Bangsbo, 1994b).
Assuming the 5v5 condition was representative of
competitive basketball (despite the rule variation
used in this study), the small-sided drills used proved
successful in eliciting higher physiological demands
than the game paradigm (i.e. 5v5) (Ziv & Lidor,
2009). However despite significantly higher heart-
rate and blood-lactate concentration, the 3v3 condi-
tion was not effective in providing a significant
elevation of V_ O2 above the 5v5 condition. The
physiological responses of 3v3 may suggest that
spontaneous game play should utilise simple rule
variations to limit tempo disruption on regular size
basketball courts (i.e. 28 6 15 m). This form of ball-
drill may be effective for anaerobic capacity devel-
opment, as the V_ O2 demand was similar to the 5v5
condition (39.0 + 7.2 vs. 42.0 + 7.5 ml  kg71 
min71, P 4 0.05, Effect-size ¼ 0.36). The 2v2 was
reportedly the most effective drill to induce physio-
logical responses higher than game conditions (Ziv &
Lidor, 2009). Indeed the 2v2 drill elicited an aerobic
Ball-drills in basketball 1333
response that was 15% higher than the 5v5 condition
(69.0 + 10.7 vs. 79.0 + 10.7 %V_ O2peak, P 5 0.001,
Effect-size ¼ 0.76) with a parallel 86% increase in
blood-lactate concentration (4.2 + 1.8 vs. 7.8 + 1.2
mmol  l71, P 5 0.001, Effect-size ¼ 0.88). The phy-
siological responses induced by the 2v2 condition
were in the range of those suggested to improve
aerobic and anaerobic-fitness in team-sports and in
basketball (Stone & Kilding, 2009; Taylor, 2004; Ziv
& Lidor, 2009).
The blood-lactate concentrations reported during
the ball-drills investigated here were in the range
of those reported in competitive basketball (Ben
Abdelkrim et al., 2009). An analysis of the results
according to playing position, similar to that per-
formed by Ben Abdelkrim et al. (2009) was not
possible due to the limited size of the current sample.
Although blood-lactate concentration is usually
considered as a reflection of anaerobic metabolism
during exercise, the relationships during intermittent
exercise are questionable (Krustrup et al., 2006).
Consequently changes in blood-lactate concentra-
tion induced by ball-drill practise should be con-
sidered with caution until more detailed studies are
undertaken (Krustrup et al., 2006).
In this study, in order to limit exercise-intensity,
free throws and time-outs were not permitted and
fast ball replacement when out of play was provided
throughout the drills (Rampinini et al., 2007).
Indeed, McInnes et al. (1995) reported that in
professional basketball competition, the major re-
ductions in heart-rate response occurred during free-
throws and time-outs when the heart-rate decreased
to approximately 70–75% and 60% of HRpeak,
respectively. It could be speculated that the
manipulation of game rules and the provision of
 1334 C. Castagna et al.
encouragement to players during ball-drills, may
result in higher physiological demands than those
witnessed in this study (Rampinini et al., 2007).
Heart-rate monitoring has been proposed as a
valid and viable method to assess and control
exercise intensity during ball-drills in team-sports
(Buchheit et al., 2009; Coutts et al., 2009; Hill-Haas,
Coutts, Rowsell, & Dawson, 2008a; Hill-Haas,
Rowsell, Coutts, & Dawson, 2008b; Rampinini
et al., 2007; Stone & Kilding, 2009). This method
is based on the assumption that heart-rate constitutes
a reflection of aerobic responses and consequently
acts as an indirect measure of V_ O2 demands (Achten
& Jeukendrup, 2003). However no structured
validity study has been performed to confirm this
Downloaded by [University of Technology Sydney] at 23:48 22 January 2012
assumption (Esposito et al., 2004; Impellizzeri,
Rampinini, & Marcora, 2005). Given the practical
interest of this issue, we compared the association of
the HR-V_ O2 relationship developed during the
‘‘multi-stage fitness test’’ (i.e. sport-specific progres-
sive maximal test) with that resulting from the ball-
drill heart-rate and V_ O2 responses. No significant
differences were found between the regression-line
slopes (P ¼ 0.86) and intercepts (P ¼ 0.45) of the
HR-V_ O2 relationship from the ‘‘multi-stage fitness
test’’ and ball-drill conditions. This finding provides
evidence for the use of heart-rate as a reflection of
V_ O2 responses during basketball ball-drills. How-
ever, it should be considered that in this study,
efforts were made to limit game related decrements
in exercise intensity. Consequently it could be
speculated that during regular playing (i.e. including
time-outs and free-throwing) the validity of assuming
heart-rates as a reflection of game V_ O2 demand may
be questionable (McInnes et al., 1995).
In this study RPE was assessed during ball-drills
with the aim of evaluating the subjective psycho-
physiological strain experienced by basketball
players. The RPE response paralleled the exercise
intensity evident during ball-drills with significant
differences among the conditions. The perception of
exertion ranged from ‘‘somewhat hard / hard’’ to
‘‘very hard’’ and was significantly related to V_ O2
during the ball-drills (r ¼ 0.79, P 5 0.001). This
finding may suggest the use of RPE as a cue to
implement targeted exercise intensities during ball-
drills in basketball. However cross-validation studies
are warranted to assess the validity of this procedure
of considerable practical application.
The present results showed that reducing the
number of players over the same playing court
resulted in an increase in physiological demands in
experienced male basketball players. The 2v2 condi-
tion provided the higher responses (effect-size was
moderate to small with 5v5 and 3v3 variables,
respectively) with exercise intensity eliciting physio-
logical responses in the range of those reported to
improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness in team-sports
(Stone & Kilding, 2009). The results of this study
confirmed previous studies that reported a significant
involvement of aerobic metabolism during basketball
(i.e. 5v5) practice (Castagna et al., 2008b; McInnes
et al., 1995; Narazaki et al., 2008). However as most
parts of competitive games are played with 3v3 and
2v2 strategies, the results of this study provide
further evidence of actual game demands. Heart-
rate monitoring may be considered as a valid method
to track the V_ O2 response during basketball ball-
drills that involve selected rule modifications.
Conclusions
In light of the findings of this study, it appears that
basketball strength and conditioning coaches may
use small-sided drills to provide specific aerobic and
anaerobic conditioning during the season. In this
regard, the 2v2 condition may be considered as a
viable training tool when aerobic and anaerobic
training stresses higher than actual-game conditions
(i.e. 5v5) are required. Ball-drills are considered as a
specific training method and are helpful in achieving
game relevant physiological adaptations with a
parallel involvement of the technical and tactical
skills of the players (Impellizzeri et al., 2006; Hill-
Haas et al., 2009a). However, for ball-drills to be
effective, they must attain specific exercise intensities
that must be monitored with valid methods (Hill-
Haas et al., 2009a; Hill-Haas, Dawson, Coutts, &
Rowsell, 2009b; Impellizzeri et al., 2006). This study
showed that heart-rate may be used to control and
regulate the aerobic involvement during ball-drills in
basketball provided man-to-man defence is applied,
players possess a good population-specific aerobic
fitness (i.e. V_ O2max 55 ml  kg71  min71) (Ziv
& Lidor, 2009) and strategies to limit artificial
disruptions to the game are utilised.
In this regard, the assessment of RPE may assist
players to achieve the target exercise intensities
during ball-drills in basketball conditioning drills.
Acknowledgements
This research was partially founded by the Scuola
Regionale dello Sport delle Marche, Italian Olympic
Committee Regional Department, Ancona, Italy.
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