Jorge Luis Salazar-Martínez1,2, Wilder Geovanny Valencia-Sánchez1,3, Jorge M. Celis-Moreno4,5

1University of Antioquia (UdeA), Institute of Physical Education, Medellín, Colombia
2Club Atlético Nacional S. A., Medellín, Colombia
3Asociacion Colombiana de Futbolistas Profesionales
4University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Physical Culture, Sports and Recreation, Bogotá, Colombia
5University of Coimbra, FCDEF, Coimbra, Portugal

Relationship between Repeated Sprint Ability and Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Youth Football Players

Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2025, 14(2), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.250905

Abstract

The aims of this study were to explore the repeated sprint ability (RSA) test (8 x 30 m) with 25 seconds of jogging recovery and to determine the relationship to the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in a Colombian elite football team. 24 male youth football players aged 20.21±0.39 years, height 72.96±6.99 cm, and body mass 69.0±6.78 kg who competed in the first A category participated in this study (Tier 3). Descriptive statistics included the mean and SD of the anthropometry, each sprint, RSA outputs and Vo2max. Spearman correlations were used between each sprint, the best sprint, the worst sprint, estimated fatigue, and Vo2max. Finally, a correlation between VO2max and RSA was plotted. The results identified that VO2max mL/kg·min was related to the 4th sprint p < 0.01 and the 5th, 6th and 8th sprints p < 0.05 of RSA and the relationship between RSA, total time and VO2max was moderate r = -0.422, 95% CI -0.711 to -0.010, p = 0.039. In conclusion, estimated Vo2max mL/kg·min seems to influence better performance in the last sprints of RSA and does not have a strong relationship to RSA total time in this sample of Colombian players. Coaches and physical trainers should take advantage of the ecological validity of field tests in developing countries.

Keywords

physical conditioning, sports performance, physical assessments



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