Relationships Between Repeated Sprint Ability, Mechanical Parameters, and Blood Metabolites in Professional Soccer Players

Abstract

This study analyzed the acute metabolic and mechanical responses to a specific repeated sprint ability (RSA) test. Eighteen male professional soccer players from a team of the First Division of Spanish National League participated. A 12 × 30-m RSA test with 30-second recovery together with countermovement jump test (CMJ) pre a post RSA test was performed. Mechanical responses (i.e., height performance in CMJ and speed loss) and metabolic responses (i.e., blood lactate and ammonia concentrations) were measured before and after exercise. A related sample t-test was used to analyze CMJ height pre-post changes as well as to compare pre- and post-exercise lactate and ammonia levels. Countermovement jump height loss pre-post session (8%) was significant, and fatigue, measured as CMJ height loss, was strongly correlated to lactate (r = 0.97; p < 0.001) and ammonia (r = 0.92; p < 0.001) for all players. The relationships between the variables studied were determined by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficients. The metabolic stress developed during the effort can be estimated by controlling CMJ because of the high correlation between CMJ and blood lactate and ammonia concentrations. The high correlations found between mechanical (speed and CMJ height losses) and metabolic (lactate and ammonia) measures of fatigue highlight the utility and validity of using CMJ to monitor training load and quantify objectively neuromuscular fatigue during RSA.

Shorter sprints elicit greater cardiorespiratory and mechanical responses with less fatigue during time-matched sprint interval training (SIT) sessions

“…Thus, in the current study, CMJ height was significantly lower only after the SIT20s (-4%) (see Figure 4). Previous studies with repeated sprint sequences that evidenced almost perfectly correlations between jump height loss and BLa (r=.96-.97), jump height loss and blood ammonia (r=.92-.95), and BLa and blood ammonia (r=.94-.96) ( Jiménez-Reyes, et al, 2016;Morcillo, et al, 2015). Therefore, and in line with previous suggestions, it could be suggested that the greater glycolytic activity during SIT20s negatively affected explosive performance of the lower limbs.…”

“…However, the physiological impact associated with acute fatigue and recovery using different modified SIT protocols has not been described. In this respect, practical and simple evaluation tools such as HR recovery (HRR), HR variability (HRV) (Stanley, Peake, & Buchheit, 2013), and vertical jump performance (Jimenez-Reyes, et al, 2016;Morcillo, et al, 2015) could be useful for identifying differences in acute fatigue between SIT protocols. This information could be important for designing complex training sessions in which strength exercises are performed after endurance efforts (Fyfe, Bartlett, Hanson, Stepto, & Bishop, 2016).…”

Effects of Playing Surface on Physical, Physiological, and Perceptual Responses to a Repeated-Sprint Ability Test: Natural Grass Versus Artificial Turf

“…It is widely accepted that the performance of in football (soccer) players is not solely affected by internal factors such as the their age, fitness status and cognitive abilities of the players. 1,2 physical and cognitive abilities, but also by external factors. 1 such as In addition, environmental factors, including the playing context characteristics of the ball and, shoes characteristics and playing surface with whichtheythe player interact have been identified as important external factors that can influence football performance.…”

Mechanical, Metabolic and Perceptual Response during Sprint Training

“…Previous studies have also observed a relationship between these metabolites and CMJ height loss during typical 400 m sessions or repeated sprint tests [11,20]. To the best of our knowledge no data are currently available about when a sprint training session should be interrupted; in fact, the topic of the appropriate dose in sprint training sessions is controversial [11,21].…”

“…However, relationships have been observed between these blood metabolites (lactate and ammonia) and jump height loss during resistance training [25], typical 400 m running sessions [11], and repeated sprint sessions with short recovery times (30 s) [20]. The strong correlations (0.92-0.97) observed between jump height loss and blood lactate and ammonia support the use of jump height for monitoring fatigue induced in training sessions [20,25]. However, to our knowledge, the relationships between jump height and metabolites during a typical sprint session, including maximal sprinting with a theoretical full recovery period, have not yet been studied.…”