ORIGINAL ARTICLE Performance and physiological responses to repeated-sprint exercise: a novel multiple-set approach Fabio R. Serpiello • Michael J. McKenna • Nigel K. Stepto • David J. Bishop • Robert J. Aughey Accepted: 4 October 2010 / Published online: 19 October 2010 Ó Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract We investigated the acute and chronic respon- ses to multiple sets of repeated-sprint exercise (RSE), focusing on changes in acceleration, intermittent running capacity and physiological responses. Ten healthy young adults (7 males, 3 females) performed an incremental test, a Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level1 (Yo-Yo IR1), and one session of RSE. RSE comprised three sets of 5 9 4-s maximal sprints on a non-motorised treadmill, with 20 s of passive recovery between repetitions and 4.5 min of pas- sive recovery between sets. After ten repeated-sprint training sessions, participants repeated all tests. During RSE, performance was determined by measuring acceler- ation, mean and peak power/velocity. Recovery heart rate (HR), HR variability, and finger-tip capillary lactate con- centration ([Lac - ]) were measured. Performance progres- sively decreased across the three sets of RSE, with the indices of repeated-sprint ability being impaired to a dif- ferent extent before and after training. Training induced a significant increase (p \ 0.05) in all indices of perfor- mance, particularly acceleration (21.9, 14.7 and 15.2% during sets 1, 2 and 3, respectively). Training significantly increased Yo-Yo IR1 performance by 8% and decreased D[Lac - ]/work ratio (-15.2, -15.5, -9.4% during sets 1, 2 and 3, respectively) and recovery HR during RSE. There were strong correlations between Yo-Yo IR1 performance and indices of RSE performance, especially acceleration post-training (r = 0.88, p = 0.004). Repeated-sprint training, comprising only 10 min of exercise overall, effectively improved performance during multiple-set RSE. This exercise model better reflects team-sport activ- ities than single-set RSE. The rapid training-induced improvement in acceleration, quantified here for the first time, has wide applications for professional and recrea- tional sport activities. Keywords Repeated-sprint ability Á Acceleration Á Recovery heart rate Á Yo-Yo Á Intermittent training Introduction In many team sports, the number of sprints during a match is between 20 and 40, with an average duration of 2–3 s, and recovery periods ranging from *50 to 300 s (Bangsbo et al. 1991; Dawson et al. 2004; Mohr et al. 2003; Spencer et al. 2004b). This combination of sprints and recovery is unlikely to be linked to a performance decrement during the game. When 6-s sprints are performed with 60 s of recovery, a decline in performance is only evident after the tenth consecutive repetition (Balsom et al. 1992). However, during a game sprints are often clustered, with short recovery between repetitions (i.e., \ 60 s) and longer recovery between bouts (Spencer et al. 2004b). These repeated-sprint bouts are typically associated with the important phases of the game, such as gaining advantage over an opponent or creating scoring opportunities. Communicated by Jean-Rene ´ Lacour. F. R. Serpiello Á M. J. McKenna Á N. K. Stepto Á D. J. Bishop Á R. J. Aughey (&) School of Sport and Exercise Science, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia e-mail: robert.aughey@vu.edu.au F. R. Serpiello Facolta ` di Scienze Motorie, Universita ` degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy R. J. Aughey Western Bulldogs Football Club, Melbourne, Australia 123 Eur J Appl Physiol (2011) 111:669–678 DOI 10.1007/s00421-010-1687-0