Repeated-sprint ability test
The repeated-sprint ability test consisted of 12 maximal-effort 20-m sprints conducted in an indoor stadium on a wooden floor. Participants started from behind a line, sprinted for 20 m, then walked quickly back to the start line ready to start the next sprint.
Participants were counted into the start (‘‘3-2-1-go’’) and began a new sprint every 20 s. Participants were required to complete the repeated-sprint ability test with maximum effort. Sprint time was recorded using the Speedlight sports timing system (Swift Performance Equipment, Lismore, Australia). Gates were positioned at the start and at 5, 10, and 20 m.
Total sprint time was calculated as the sum of all 12 sprint times (s) and the mean repeated sprint time was calculated by dividing the total sprint time by the number of sprints (CV¼3.9%). After the test, participants had 10 min recovery that consisted of
low-intensity running.