BACKGROUND: The current aims were to determine body composition (BC), and heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived effort (RPE) responses by female basketball referees during elite international competition. METHODS: Pre-competition, BC via skinfolds was assessed in 10 referees (38 ± 3 yr) who officiated 11 matches. Referees' HR and exercise intensity (based upon maximum HR, HRmax) was recorded during each quarter of each match and RPE assessed post- match. Differences between quarters were examined via repeated measures ANOVA while correlations between RPE, HR, BC and experience were also considered. RESULTS: The average match HR was 86.2±5.0 HRmax with this being significantly lower during the 4th quarter compared to the 1st (p = 0.18) and 2nd quarters (p = 0.001), and significantly lower during the 3rd compared to the 2nd quarter (p = 0.005). The average post-match RPE was 12.5 ± 1.6 with significant inverse correlations identified between post-match RPE and exercise intensity (average HR, %HRmax). Significant correlations were identified between the average match HR and BC (0.608, p = 0.016), and experience (-0.653, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The current investigation has demonstrated that elite female basketball referees experience significant cardiovascular and perceptual stress during international matches that may be influenced by referee experience and BC. These unique characteristics may aid in referee preparation for elite competition.
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