It was mentioned in the leopard book and got my attention. Good performance in many sports probably depends on it to a large degree. Most research has been focusing on activities that are running sprints, but if you think of it lots of other sports have this activity built in. BJJ, grappling, for example, is pretty much the series of sprints, just not with running muscles.
There is much less research on this topic than many others. Surprising, as many sports that are obvious in terms of this quality are high money makers: football, soccer, ice hockey to name a few. Fascinating physiology behind it.
A popular summary is someone is interested.
How to Optimise Repeated Sprint Ability
Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA)
- Alfred_E._Neuman
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Re: Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA)
Pretty good read. I find it interesting that they specifically mention that football (American), Soccer, Rugby, LAX, and other field sports aren't really 100% sprint efforts most of the time. Only in the infrequent bursts on certain plays do players actually hit near 100% effort. But those are the plays that determine the game.
I also found it interesting that one of the training methods was fairly low RPM cycling at pretty high power. Seems that you'd want leg speed to be high no matter the metabolic system you're training.
I also found it interesting that one of the training methods was fairly low RPM cycling at pretty high power. Seems that you'd want leg speed to be high no matter the metabolic system you're training.
I don't have a lot of experience with vampires, but I have hunted werewolves. I shot one once, but by the time I got to it, it had turned back into my neighbor's dog.
- Alfred_E._Neuman
- Sgt. Major
- Posts: 4725
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:13 am
- Location: The Usual Gang of Idiots
Re: Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA)
Also, no mention of KBs and force plates? Obvious bullshit is obvious 

I don't have a lot of experience with vampires, but I have hunted werewolves. I shot one once, but by the time I got to it, it had turned back into my neighbor's dog.
Re: Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA)
More on this topic.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21846163
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21846163
...the currently unknown synergies and interferences resulting from the combination of various training contents[116] on the metabolic, neural and mechanical determinants of RSA make guidelines on how training content should be manipulated and periodized difficult. Nonetheless, two key recommendations can be made based on the existing literature as follows:
1. It is important to include some training to improve single-sprint performance.
This should include (i) specific sprint training; (ii) strength/ power training; and (iii) occasional high-intensity (>V.O2max)training(e.g.repeated,30-second,all- out efforts separated by ~10 minutes of recovery) to increase the anaerobic capacity.
2. It is also important to include some interval training to best improve the ability to recover between sprints (if the goal is to improve fatigue resistance).High-intensity(80–90%V.O2max)in- terval training, interspersed with rest periods (e.g. 1 minute) that are shorter than the work periods (e.g. 2 minutes) is efficient at improving the ability to recover between sprints by increasing aerobic fitness(V.O2max and the lactate threshold),the rate of phosphocreatine resynthesis and bm in vitro.
