Faster oxygen uptake kinetics during recovery is related to better repeated sprinting ability

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that subjects having faster oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics during off-transients to exercises of severe intensity would obtain the smallest decrement score during a repeated sprint test. Twelve male soccer players completed a graded test, two severe-intensity exercises, followed by 6 min of passive recovery, and a repeated sprint test, consisting of seven 30-m sprints alternating with 20 s of active recovery. The relative decrease in score during the repeated sprint test was positively correlated with time constants of the primary phase for the VO2 off-kinetics (r = 0.85; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the VO2 peak (r = -0.83; p < 0.001). These results strengthen the link found between VO2 kinetics and the ability to maintain sprint performance during repeated sprints.