Performance, physiological and perceptual responses to repeated sprint tests in basketball players

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare performance, physiological and perceptual responses to different repeated sprint ability tests in basketball players. METHODS: Nineteen volunteer basketball players randomly participated in straight-line RSA test (6×25m; RSA-SL), shuttle-RSA test with 180° changes of direction (COD) (6×[2×12.5m]; RSA-SH) and RSA test with 100ºCOD ([6×25m]; RSA-COD) with 25 seconds recovery. After RSA tests, best sprint time (BST), total sprint time (TST), and percentage of performance decrement (PD) were determined as performance responses. Participants’ heart rate (HR_mean and HR_max), lactate (LA_max) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE_max) were determined as physiological responses. RESULTS: Repeated measures of ANOVA indicated that RSA-SL had significantly faster BST and TST values than RSA-SH and RSA-COD whereas RSA-SH had significantly faster BST and TST values compared to RSA-COD (P<0.05). In PD no significant differences were observed among the 3 different RSA tests (P>0.05). In addition, HR_mean, HR_max, LA_max and RPE_max responses to 3 different RSA tests were not different(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although RSA-SL, RSA-SH and RSA-COD were different in terms of BST and TST, finding no difference in PD together with physiological and perceptual responses demonstrated that these 3 RSA tests were not different in terms of fatigue and physiological-perceptual characteristics.