Validity of a Group Intermittent-High-Intensity

Test for Repeated Sprint Ability: A pilot study (2) CORSO DI LAUREA IN SCIENZE
MOTORIE
(1) DEPARTAMENT OF SPORTS AND FACOLTA’ DI MEDICINA E CHIRURGIA
PHYSICAL EDUCATION. Universita’ di Tor Vergata – Roma
(1) BARBERO- (2)
FACULTY OF HUMANITY AND EDUCATION
OF MELILLA. UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA.
BARBERO-ÁLVAREZ, JOSÉ C. and CASTAGNA, CARLO

1. INTRODUCTION.

Many team sports as soccer require participants to repeatedly

produce maximal or near maximal sprints of short duration The aim of this study was to examine the
(1-7s) with brief recovery periods, over an extended period of
time (60-90 min). Repeated sprint ability (RSA) has been
validity of a new field intermittent high-
high-
suggested as an important component of team sports intensity group test developed to assess
performance (Spencer et al., 2005). RSA (GRSA) in soccer players.
RSA tests are specifically designed to assess the athlete's
ability to perform short bursts of high intensity exercise over
a series of multiple efforts. However the RSA assessment
requires testing protocols that are difficult to implement
(photocells) and are time consuming.

2. METHODS.
Participants: Eighteen amateur soccer players (mean ± sd: age
21.8±4.8 years, height 1.76±0.2 m, body mass 69.0±7.8 kg) were
tested in a random order for RSA and GRSA at least two days
apart.
RSA test: The RSAT consisted in 8 bouts of 2 x 15 m shuttle run
sprints (30-m per bout) with 30-s of passive recovery. Sprint
scores were assessed using custom-made infrared light sensors
connected to a personal computer.
GRSA test: Group RSA test consisted in progressive speed
2x15m shuttle running bouts with 30s of passive recovery. Starting
3. RESULTS.
RSA Total Time and best sprint performance were
significantly correlated with GRSA performance (r=-0.83, and
r=-0.77, respectively p=0.002).
Post tests Blood Lactate concentrations were not significantly
different (13.25±3.14 and 13.57±4.34 mmol L-1 for GRSA and
RSA respectively.
Peak HR were 93±3.4 and 93±3.0% of HRmax for GRSA and
RSA, respectively.
6.4

speed was 18 km·h-1 with 0.5 km·h-1 increments every 8 bouts.

52.0
y = -0.0012x + 6.2916 y = -0.0097x + 51.716
6.2 R2 = 0.5899 51.0
R2 = 0.6816
50.0

GRSA performance was considered as the total distance covered

6.0
Best Time RSAT (s)

Total Time RSAT (s)

49.0
5.8
48.0

during the test. 5.6

5.4
47.0

46.0

5.2 45.0

5.0 44.0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Distance GRSAT (m) Distance GRSAT (m)

102 20
Blood Lactate (mmol L-1) post

100 18

16
HR peak RSAT (% HRmax)

98
14
96
12
94
.

10
92
8
90
6
88
y = 0.939x + 6.7506 4 y = 0.939x + 6.7506
86 R2 = 0.6519 2 R2 = 0.6519

84 0
88 90 92 94 96 98 100 0 5 10 15 20 25

HR peak GRSAT (%HRmax) Blood Lactate (mmol L-1) postRSAT .

Fingertip blood lactate concentration was assessed at rest and

three minutes after the end of both tests. Heart rate was monitored
throughout the tests using short range telemetry.
Significance level was set to P<0.05. Values are presented as means
± sd.
5. CONCLUSIONS.
The results of this study showed the criterion
validity of a team sport specific high-
high-intensity test
in estimating players’ repeated sprint ability.
In this regard coaches and fitness trainers may
use GRSA for a fast and economical, evaluation
of their players ability to reiterate sprints over
time.
4. DISCUSSION.
This study results showed that GRSA test may be
considered as an interesting test to assess RSA
performance in groups of amateur soccer players
without the operative limitation usually encountered
during usual running RSA protocols.
In fact GRSA is easy to administer and allows mass
testing.
6. REFERENCES.
1. Spencer, M., Bishop, D., Dawson, B. and Goodman, C. (2005).
Physiological and Metabolic Responses of Repeated-Sprint Activities
Specific to Field-Based Team Sports. Sports Medicine, 35(12), 1025-
1044.2.