Thirteen (13) elite female basketball players were submitted to medical and physiological evaluation in Cemafe (Federal University of São Paulo) in June, 2000. Age was 24.4 ± 4.6 y, height 182 ± 7.6 cm, and body mass 70.8 ± 8.6 kg. The Brazilian team was submitted to an ergospirometry evaluation by a computerized analysis of expired gases with cardiovascular responses recorded by ECG. A vertical jump test was performed to detect the anaerobic power during 30 seconds. The results were: maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) 49.9 ± 5.4 ml/kg/min; threshold oxygen uptake (VO2 LA) 38.7 ± 4.3 ml/kg/min; maximum heart rate 194.4 ± 9.6 bpm; anaerobic threshold heart rate 179.7 ± 5.7 bpm; anaerobic threshold velocity 11.9 ± 1.4 km/h; anaerobic power (peak) 9.9 ± 2.2 W; total muscular work (30 s) 602.1 ± 104.8 J. Medical and physiological evaluation is compulsory for elite female basketball players to be successful in international championships.
Physiology of exercise; Female basketball; Evaluation
