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SUMMARY
SPRINT SPEED IS RELATED TO
THE ABILITY TO DEPLETE LARGE
AMOUNTS OF HIGH-ENERGY
PHOSPHATES AT A FAST RATE.
TO SPRINT REPEATEDLY,
THE AEROBIC SYSTEM MUST
RESYNTHESIZE POLYMERASE
CHAIN REACTION, REMOVE
ACCUMULATED INTRACELLULAR
INORGANIC PHOSPHATE, AND
OXIDIZE LACTATE DURING REST
PERIODS. WHETHER THIS CAN
BE APPRECIABLY IMPROVED
VIA A HIGH V O2MAX REMAINS
CONTROVERSIAL. HOWEVER, IT IS
LIKELY IMPROVED VIA ANAEROBIC
QUALITIES SUCH AS STRENGTH,
POWER, AND SPEED, ALONG
WITH THE ATHLETES VELOCITY
AT ONSET OF BLOOD LACTATE
ACCUMULATION. WHEN
REPORTING REPEAT SPRINT
ABILITY TEST RESULTS, TOTAL
OR MEAN TIME SHOULD BE USED.
INTRODUCTION
PHOSPHOCREATINE
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The anaerobic conversion of pyruvate yields lactate and H+, not always
lactic acid (the lactic acid molecule
cannot exist at the physiological pH
of 7); thus, despite the high correlation, lactate is not the cause of fatigue
(12). In fact, lactate can be used as an
energy substrate via gluconeogenesis
(formation of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources), where it is transported in the blood to the liver,
referred to as the Cori cycle, or converted within the muscle fiber itself. It
is likely that H+ accumulation via lactate formation decreases intracellular
pH and inhibits glycolytic enzymes
(such as phosphofructokinase) and
the binding of calcium to troponin
and thus muscle excitation-contraction coupling (26). Glaister (18) summarizes that fatigue may also be a
consequence of a lack of ATP for
actin-myosin coupling, NA+/K+
pumping, and Ca2+ uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Also, intracellular Pi accumulation may interfere
with muscle function by inhibiting
Ca2+ release from SR, control actinmyosin cross-bridge interactions, and
thereby regulate force production.
AEROBIC METABOLISM
Table 1
Estimates of ATP by Gaitanos et al. (17) after 10 3 6-second cycle sprints, with 30-second rest periods
ATP production (mmol/kg dry muscle)
Sprint 1
Sprint 10
Sprint 1
Sprint 10
Total
89.3 6 13.4
31.6 6 14.7
14.9 6 2.2
5.3 6 2.5
PCr
44.3 6 4.7
25.3 6 9.7
7.4 6 0.8
4.2 6 1.6
Glycolysis
39.4 6 9.5
5.1 6 8.9
6.6 6 1.6
0.9 6 1.5
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Having discussed the biochemical factors governing RSA, the aim of the following sections is to briefly outline how
we can train to improve RSA: whether
increasing aerobic power (V O2max),
anaerobic power (speed/strength/
power), or lactate threshold is beneficial.
This will be followed by suggestions for
reporting results from RSA testing protocols and the requirements for future
research within this area.
VO 2MAX
the RSA test used. For example, a moderate correlation (r 5 20.35) between
V O2max and RSA was found when
using 8 3 40-m sprints with 30 seconds
of active recovery between sprints (1)
but not 6 3 20-m sprints with 20 seconds of recovery between sprints (2).
The discrepancy is likely attributable to
the length of the sprints used, as this
may alter the contribution of the aerobic system (5). In essence, V O2max has
not been reported to relate to RSA
when sprints of less than 40 m (or 6 seconds) have been used (15). Also, in
protocols using W:R $ 1:5, there
may be sufficient recovery provided
for the aerobic system to resynthesize
ATP and PCr despite fitness levels.
Although the issue of whether RSA is
affected by a high V O2max seems
dependent on the protocol used, one
must consider the validity of the tests
to the sport in question (discussed
later: see Ecological Validity and
Future Research section).
LACTATE THRESHOLD
Da Silva et al. (15) (protocol aforementioned) and Pyne et al. (29) (using 6 3
30-m sprints with 20-second rest)
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Sdec % 5 S1 S2 S3
. Sfinal =S1
3 number of sprints
2 1 3 100
1
REFERENCES
FI % 5 Sslowest
2 Sfastest =Sfastest 3 100:
(2)
To improve reliability, Spencer et al.
(35) advise that 5 minutes before testing, athletes complete a single criterion
sprint. During the first sprint, athletes
must achieve at least 95% of this score.
Should they fail, the test is terminated
and restarted after another 5-minute
break. Although total (or mean) sprint
time demonstrates good reliability
(CV, , 3%), indices of fatigue are much
less reliable (CVs, 1150%); therefore,
the former should be used (27,36).
CONCLUSIONS
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