# Recreational 3 × 3 basketball elicits higher heart rate, enjoyment, and physical activity intensities but lower blood lactate and perceived exertion compared to HIIT in active young adults PMID: 37398970 Journal: Biology of Sport Published: 2023-02-01 Authors: Conte D, Lukonaitiene I, Matulaitis K, Snieckus A, Kniubaite A, Kreivyte R, Kamandulis S ## Question Do acute physiological, hormonal, psychological, and physical responses differ between recreational 3 × 3 basketball and a similar-duration gym HIIT session in active young adults? ## Summary In active young male recreational basketball players, one short 3 × 3 basketball match produced higher heart-rate intensity, accelerometer-measured activity intensity, and enjoyment than a duration-matched gym HIIT session, while HIIT produced higher lactate, perceived exertion, and a within-condition creatine kinase increase. ## Population - Apparently healthy male recreational basketball players who were habitually active and physically fit. - Sample size: 12 - Age: 23 ± 3 years. - Sex: Male only. - Fitness level: Habitually active, physically fit, recreationally trained basketball players. - Health status: Apparently healthy; contraindications screened with PAR-Q. ## Methodology - Randomized within-subject acute crossover study. - Five sessions over 9 days, including one 3 × 3 basketball condition and one HIIT condition. - Lithuanian Sports University indoor court/laboratory setting. - Randomized and controlled study design. ## Protocol - Gym HIIT. - Modality: Bodyweight/gym circuit with push-ups, shuttle sprints, squat jumps, shuttle side-steps, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. - Work intervals: 30 seconds. - Recovery: 30 seconds rest. - Sets or repetitions: Three exercise bouts plus rest repeated for 4 sets; participants completed as many rounds as possible during each 30-second work bout. - Intensity: All-out/as many rounds as possible; mean 83.6 ± 5.5% HRmax reported. - Session duration: 10-minute standardized warm-up plus 12-minute HIIT protocol. - Frequency: Single acute session. - Program length: Acute comparison only. - Progression: No progression; one experimental HIIT session after familiarization. - Recreational 3 × 3 basketball. - Modality: Half-court 3 × 3 basketball match. - Work intervals: Continuous game play with official 3 × 3 rules and 12-second shot clock. - Recovery: Natural stoppages only; no substitutions. - Sets or repetitions: One match, average duration 10.2 minutes. - Intensity: Mean 91.2 ± 3.5% HRmax reported. - Session duration: 10-minute standardized warm-up plus about 10 minutes of live match time. - Frequency: Single acute session. - Program length: Acute comparison only. - Progression: No progression. ## Outcomes ### Heart rate Status: improved 3 × 3 basketball produced a higher percentage of HRmax than gym HIIT. p < 0.001; mean difference -7.6 percentage points; Cohen's d -1.6. ### Lactate and CK Status: mixed HIIT produced higher post-condition blood lactate and a significant within-HIIT creatine kinase rise, indicating greater metabolic and muscle stress. Blood lactate HIIT-post 10.0 ± 6.4 vs 3 × 3BB-post 5.8 ± 3.1 mmol/L; between-condition post p = 0.020. CK increased within HIIT p = 0.020. ### Enjoyment and RPE Status: mixed 3 × 3 basketball was more enjoyable and perceived as less strenuous than HIIT. Enjoyment p = 0.014; RPE p = 0.024. Median RPE HIIT 6.5 vs 3 × 3BB 5.0. ### MVPA Status: improved 3 × 3 basketball produced more time in moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous activity zones. MVPA 95.6 ± 1.9% vs 75.6 ± 6.2%, p < 0.001; vigorous activity 71.9 ± 15.2% vs 61.4 ± 3.0%, p = 0.030. ## Practical Insights - Sport-based intervals can produce high cardiovascular intensity with better enjoyment than a gym circuit in people who like the sport. - A 30:30 mixed bodyweight/shuttle format is a reproducible short HIIT comparator. - The basketball finding should not be generalized to people without basketball experience or to long-term adaptations. ## Limitations - Small male-only sample. - Acute design with no training adaptation outcomes. - Participants had prior basketball experience and were already active. - Hip accelerometers may under-detect static gym exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups. - No adverse-event table or detailed tolerability reporting. ## Safety And Adherence - Participants completed PAR-Q screening and were informed of risks. - The article did not report adverse events or injuries. - Authors suggested the short sessions did not induce high muscle damage in active young adults, based on CK values. ## Original Sources - [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37398970/) (pubmed) - [DOI](https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.122478) (doi) - [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10286609/) (full text) ## Agent Guidance Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.