Reliability and Validity of a Soccer-Specific Test of Prolonged Repeated-Sprint Ability

Purpose:The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability and validity of a newly developed laboratory protocol to measure prolonged repeated-sprint ability (RSA) during soccer-specific exercise.Methods:To assess reliability, 12 youth soccer players age 15.2 ± 0.3 y performed 2 trials of a soccer-specific intermittent-exercise test (SSIET) separated by 3 months. The test was performed on a nonmotorized treadmill. A separate sample of 12 youth soccer players (15.2 ± 0.3 y) completed the SSIET while simultaneously HR, VO2, and blood lactate (BLa) were monitored. The SSIET was designed to replicate the demands of competing in one half of a soccer match while sprint performance was monitored. The test included a 5-s sprint every 2 min.Results:The mean coefficient of variation was 2.5% for the total distance covered during the SSIET and 3.8% for the total distance sprinted; measures of power output were less reliable (>5.9%). Participants covered 4851 ± 251 m during the SSIET, working at an average intensity of 87.5% ± 3.2% HRpeak and 70.2% ± 3.1% VO2peak, with ~7mmol/L BLa accumulation. A significant reduction (P < .05) in sprint performance was ob served over the course of the SSIET.Conclusion:The SSIET provided a reliable method of assessing prolonged RSA in the laboratory. The distance covered and the physiological responses during the SSIET successfully recreated the demands of competing in a soccer match.

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Short-Term Cardiac Autonomic Recovery after a Repeated Sprint Test in Young Soccer Players

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports7050102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 102

Author(s):

Cesar Cavinato Cal Abad ◽

Lucas Adriano Pereira ◽

Vinicius Zanetti ◽

Ronaldo Kobal ◽

Irineu Loturco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Course ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Short Term ◽

Post Exercise ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Passive Recovery ◽

Repeated Sprint Ability ◽

Repeated Sprint ◽

Mean Square Difference ◽

Sprint Ability

The aim of this study was to describe the time course (within 2 h post-exercise) of heart rate variability (HRV) recovery following a traditional repeated sprint ability (RSA) test applied to youth soccer players. Twenty-four young soccer players (18.4 ± 0.5 years) undertook the following assessments: (1) 10 min rest in the seated position for HRV assessment; (2) a repeated sprint ability (RSA) test; (3) passive recovery in the seated position for 10 min, immediately after finishing the RSA test and 1 h and 2 h post-RSA test. During the HRV measurements (using the natural log of root mean square difference of successive normal RR intervals—lnRMSSD) the participants were instructed to assume a comfortable sitting position, remaining awake and breathing spontaneously for 10 min. Magnitude-based inference was used in the analyses. After the RSA test, the post-1 h measure was almost certainly lower than the resting measure, but almost certainly higher than the lnRMSSD measured post-RSA test. The lnRMSSD post-2 h was likely lower than the resting lnRMSSD and very likely higher than post-1 h. In conclusion, lnRMSSD is severely depressed after performing an RSA test, and reactivation is incomplete after 2 h of passive recovery. This result should be considered by practitioners when applying successive training sessions within intervals shorter than 2 h.

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Hydrothermally Modified Corn Starch Ingestion Attenuates Soccer Skill Performance Decrements in the Second Half of a Simulated Soccer Match

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism ◽

10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0217 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 498-504

Author(s):

Manuel D. Quinones ◽

Peter W.R. Lemon

Keyword(s):

Genetically Modified Organisms ◽

Respiratory Exchange Ratio ◽

Corn Starch ◽

Intermittent Exercise ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Soccer Match ◽

Repeated Sprint Ability ◽

Repeated Sprint ◽

Skill Performance ◽

Sprint Ability

Hydrothermally modified non-genetically modified organisms corn starch (HMS) ingestion may enhance endurance exercise performance via sparing carbohydrate oxidation. To determine whether similar effects occur with high-intensity intermittent exercise, we investigated the effects of HMS ingestion prior to and at halftime on soccer skill performance and repeated sprint ability during the later stages of a simulated soccer match. In total, 11 male university varsity soccer players (height = 177.7 ± 6.8 cm, body mass = 77.3 ± 7.9 kg, age = 22 ± 3 years, body fat = 12.8 ± 4.9%, and maximal oxygen uptake = 57.1 ± 3.9 ml·kg BM−1·min−1) completed the match with HMS (8% carbohydrate containing a total of 0.7 g·kg BM−1·hr−1; 2.8 kcal·kg BM−1·hr−1) or isoenergetic dextrose. Blood glucose was lower (p < .001) with HMS at 15 min (5.3 vs. 7.7 mmol/L) and 30 min (5.6 vs. 8.3 mmol/L) following ingestion, there were no treatment differences in blood lactate, and the respiratory exchange ratio was lower with HMS at 15 min (0.84 vs. 0.86, p = .003); 30 min (0.83 vs. 0.85, p = .004); and 45 min (0.83 vs. 0.85, p = .007) of the first half. Repeated sprint performance was similar for both treatments (p > .05). Soccer dribbling time was slower with isoenergetic dextrose versus baseline (15.63 vs. 14.43 s, p < .05) but not so with HMS (15.04 vs. 14.43 s, p > .05). Furthermore, during the passing test, penalty time was reduced (4.27 vs. 7.73 s, p = .004) with HMS. During situations where glycogen availability is expected to become limiting, HMS ingestion prematch and at halftime could attenuate the decline in skill performance often seen late in contests.

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Relationship Between Repeated Sprint Ability, Aerobic Capacity, Intermittent Endurance, and Heart Rate Recovery in Youth Soccer Players

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research ◽

10.1519/jsc.0000000000002193 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (12) ◽

pp. 3406-3413 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alejandro Rodríguez-Fernández ◽

Javier Sanchez-Sanchez ◽

Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo ◽

Fábio Y. Nakamura ◽

Jose A. Rodríguez-Marroyo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Aerobic Capacity ◽

Heart Rate Recovery ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Repeated Sprint Ability ◽

Repeated Sprint ◽

Sprint Ability

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Repeated Dribbling Ability in Young Soccer Players: Reproducibility and Variation by the Competitive Level

Journal of Human Kinetics ◽

10.1515/hukin-2016-0019 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 155-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

João P. Duarte ◽

Óscar Tavares ◽

João Valente-dos-Santos ◽

Vítor Severino ◽

Alexis Ahmed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Sample ◽

Critical Value ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Fatigue Index ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Repeated Sprint Ability ◽

Repeated Sprint ◽

Composite Scores ◽

Sprint Ability

AbstractThe intermittent nature of match performance in youth soccer supports relevance of ability to repeatedly produce high-intensity actions with short recovery periods. This study was aimed to examine the reproducibility of a repeated dribbling ability protocol and, additionally, to estimate the contribution of concurrent tests to explain inter-individual variability in repeated dribbling output. The total sample comprised 98 players who were assessed as two independent samples: 31 players were assessed twice to examine reliability of the protocol; and 67 juveniles aged 16.1 ± 0.6 years were compared by the competitive level (local, n = 34; national, n = 33) to examine construct validity. All single measurements appeared to be reasonably reliable: total (ICC = 0.924; 95%CI: 0.841 to 0.963); ideal (ICC = 0.913; 95%CI: 0.820 to 0.958); worst (ICC = 0.813; 95%CI: 0.611 to 0.910). In addition, the percentage of the coefficient of variation was below the critical value of 5% for total (%CV = 3.84; TEM = 2.51 s); ideal (%CV = 3.90, TEM = 2.48 s). Comparisons between local and national players suggested magnitude effects as follows: moderate (d-value ranged from 0.63 to 0.89) for all repeated sprint ability scores; large for total (d = 1.87), ideal (d = 1.72), worst (d = 1.28) and moderate for composite scores: the fatigue index (d = 0.69) and the decrement score (d = 0.67). In summary, the dribbling protocol presented reasonable reproducibility properties and output extracted from the protocol seemed to be independent from biological maturation.

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