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Performance of the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery

Test by Elite Professional and Semiprofessional
Rugby League Players
Article in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research March 2006
DOI: 10.1519/R-16034.1 Source: PubMed

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Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(1), 222225

q 2006 National Strength & Conditioning Association

PERFORMANCE OF THE YO-YO INTERMITTENT

RECOVERY TEST BY ELITE PROFESSIONAL AND
SEMIPROFESSIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS
STEPHEN J. ATKINS
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, England.

ABSTRACT. Atkins, S.J. Performance of the Yo-Yo Intermittent

Recovery Test by elite professional and semiprofessional rugby
league players. J. Strength Cond. Res. 19(4):222225. 2005.The
purpose of this study was to assess the performance of elite rugby league players by using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery
Test. Fifty players were recruited to the study during preseason
and were classified as professional (P) or semiprofessional (SP).
All performed the level 1 Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test. Total distance achieved was taken as the performance index. Physiological (heart rate and blood lactate) correlates of performance
were also assessed. Results showed that P players achieved a
greater total distance than did SP players (p . 0.05). End heart
rates did not differ significantly (p , 0.05). Semiprofessional
players had significantly lower end blood lactate values than did
P players (p , 0.05). Relationships between test performance
and physiological variables were not significant (p . 0.05).
These findings showed that P and SP players performed the test
at a comparable level. Physiological indices indicated that performance was near maximal. The test is considered a useful
measure of intermittent high-intensity performance for rugby
league players.
KEY WORDS. intermittent, rugby league, heart rate, blood lactate

INTRODUCTION
he sport of rugby league is characterized by intermittent efforts. Low-intensity activity accounts for the majority of game time (23), yet
success depends on less-frequent but higher-intensity work (6, 13, 22). Because rugby league is a collision sport, players require a combination of aerobic and
anaerobic energy provision (6, 8, 1113, 22). Specific testing of these players is difficult. The tempo of game play
precludes the use of many standardized field tests. Predictive field tests, such as the 20-m incremental shuttle
run (18, 30), are inappropriate because they fail to reflect
the intermittent nature of the game. Several investigators have attempted to replicate intermittent activity patterns during game play in a variety of laboratory and field
settings (3, 5, 21, 25, 26). Despite these advances, no test
specific to rugby league currently exists.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (2) is reliable
and valid in relation to the intermittent demands of soccer play (17, 28). This test assesses a players ability to
recover from repeated high-intensity running efforts (2,
17), an essential component of rugby league play (6, 13,
22). In addition to providing aerobic loading to near-maximal levels, the test also places great stress on the anaerobic pathways (17). It is also sensitive enough to detect
changes in performance over the course of a training or
competition period (17, 28). The maximal nature of the
test reflects the need for a sound aerobic conditioning

base in sports such as rugby league. Average intensity of

effort during the game has been estimated at around 80%
O2 max (8).
of V
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is frequently
used in field settings. Normative data from a variety of
sporting populations are rare. Most of the reported evidence focuses on soccer play, both for referees and for
outfield players (2, 16, 17, 28, 29). The aim of the current
study was to assess the performance of professional (P)
and semiprofessional (SP) rugby league players by using
this test. A secondary aim was to assess physiological correlates of performance, namely heart rate and blood lactate.

METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem

This study used a cross-sectional approach to investigate

the performance of the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test
by 50 elite rugby league players. Subjects were categorized by playing level (P and SP). All subjects were fully
informed of the purpose and nature of the study and provided informed consent. Testing was completed during
the first week of preseason training. After testing, differences in test performance, heart rate response, and blood
lactate were examined according to playing level.
Subjects

Subjects were recruited from an elite English rugby

league squad. Characteristics of the franchise have been
reported previously (1). Twenty-three first-team players
(P, age 22.1 6 5.0 years) and 27 second-team or alliance
players (SP, age 21.1 6 4.7 years) gave informed, written
consent to take part in this study. Professional players
competed in the national Super League and were fully
remunerated. Semiprofessional players occasionally competed at the Super League level but received only partial
remuneration. No significant difference in age was identified between P and SP players (p . 0.05). Stature, mass,
and muscle mass were measured using existing guidelines (19, 20; Table 1). All measurements were taken during the first week of preseason training. During the offseason, players had been prescribed a maintenance-training schedule, which consisted of moderate-intensity aerobic work and low-mass and high-repetition resistance
exercises. The preseason phase lasted 4 weeks, with the
first friendly game at week 3. During the early preseason phase, P players performed an average of 3 hours
training per day on 56 of 7 days. This consisted of mostly
speed and power work and vigorous aerobic conditioning
at a ratio of 1:2. Semiprofessional players undertook an

YO-YO INTERMITTENT RECOVERY TEST

FIGURE 1. Schematic representation of the level 1 Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test.

TABLE 1. Anthropometric characteristics of elite rugby

league players by squad (mean 6 SD).
Height (m)
Mass (kg)
Muscle mass (kg)

BY

RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS 223

was determined when a subject failed to reach the finish

line on 2 successive occasions or by volitional exhaustion.
A diagrammatic representation of the test set-up is shown
in Figure 1. The performance value was recorded as the
last completed running bout, and the distance achieved
(in meters) was then calculated.
Heart Rate. Heart rate was recorded with a shortrange telemetry system (Polar Vantage NV, Kempele,
Finland). Chest straps were placed inferiorly to the xiphosternal joint. Heart rate was recorded at the 5-second
interval rate. End heart rate (EHR) was determined as
the highest value before the cessation of exercise, removing obvious mechanical artifacts where appropriate. Agepredicted maximal heart rates were calculated by using
the Karvonen equation of 220-age.
Blood Lactate Analysis.. Blood lactate was measured
with the YSI 1500 SPORT Lactate Analyzer (YSI Incorporated, Yellow Springs, OH). Blood lactate was collected
by capillary sampling methods from the subjects forefinger. Samples of 25 ml were liberated from subjects both
at rest and at the cessation of exercise. A recovery sample
was also taken at 6 minutes postexercise.

First team

Second team

Statistical Analyses

27
27
27

1.82 (0.66)
93.0* (11.1)
63.4* (9.2)

27
27
16

1.80 (0.43)
87.0 (10.1)
59.1 (5.2)

Descriptive statistics were derived for all test variables

by SPSS version 12.1 software (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Differences in performance and physiological responses were
assessed by an independent samples t-test. Pearson product moment correlations were used to evaluate relationships between performance and physiological variables.
The level of significance was set at p # 0.05.

* Significant difference at p , 0.05.

average of 2 hours per day on 5 of 7 days per week. Again,

this was mostly speed and power work combined with
aerobic conditioning.

RESULTS

Procedures

Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Performance

Warm-up. All subjects completed a comprehensive warmup consisting of a 3-phase mobilization, pulse-raising, and
dynamic-flexibility routine. Subjects also completed a familiarization protocol involving the first 2 levels of the
test.
Testing. Subjects performed the Yo-Yo Intermittent
Recovery Test indoors on a synthetic grass pitch. Cones
were used to create running lanes (2 3 20 m). Each lane
also had another cone placed 5 m behind the start line.
This represented the active recovery zone for the test.
All subjects wore specific training shoes with small molded studs to facilitate grip. After the warm-up, subjects
performed the test consisting of repeated 2 3 20-m runs
at progressively faster speeds. These runs were interspersed with 10-second active recoveries consisting of 2
3 5 m of jogging within the aforementioned zone. The test
undertaken was at level 1, with 4 running bouts at 10
13 kmh21 (0160 m) and 7 running bouts at 13.514
kmh21 (160440 m). The test continued with stepwise
speed increments of 0.5 kmh21 after every 8 running
bouts (760 m, 1,080 m, 1,400 m, etc.). These increments
were equivalent to a 320-m distance. Cessation of the test

Professional players achieved a greater total distance

than did SP players, though not significantly (1,656 6
403 m vs. 1,564 6 415 m; p . 0.05).
Heart Rates

Heart rate data are summarized in Table 2. EHRs were

significantly lower than age-predicted values (p # 0.05).
Professional players had lower EHRs than did SP players
(p . 0.05). These values reflect 97% and 98% of predicted
maximal heart rate.
Blood Lactate

Blood lactate concentration at rest was 0.98 6 0.13

mmolL21 for P players and 1.93 6 1.11 mmolL21 for SP
players (p . 0.05). After the cessation of exercise, blood
lactate values were 10.75 6 1.11 mmolL21 for P players
and 9.13 6 1.10 mmolL21 for SP players (p # 0.05). Sixminute recovery blood lactates were reduced, though differences by squad were not significant (9.22 6 1.03
mmolL21 for P players and 8.73 6 0.91 mmolL21 for SP
players; p . 0.05).

TABLE 2. Heart rate data of elite rugby league players by squad (mean 6 SD).
Age-predicted heart rate (bmin21)
End heart rate (bmin21)
* Significant difference at p , 0.05

First team

Second team

27
27

198 (5)
191* (7)

27
27

199 (5)
194 (6)

224

ATKINS

Relationships Between Variables

For P players, distance achieved in the test was not significantly related to EHR (r 5 0.29; p . 0.05) or blood
lactate (r 5 0.37; p . 0.05). Correlations among distance,
EHR (r 5 0.29; p . 0.05), and blood lactate (r 5 0.37; p
. 0.05) were also poor for SP players.

DISCUSSION
The current study provided population-specific data for
the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test in a sample of P
and SP rugby league players. Additionally, the physiological correlates of such performance were also identified.
These findings provide rugby league practitioners with
information regarding preseason norms of performance
associated with this important component of game fitness.
The results showed that P players performed the test
to a greater level than did their SP counterparts. This
was as expected and echoed previous research assessing
cardiorespiratory fitness with continuous test modalities
(13, 27). When compared with some elite-level soccer
players (28, 29), all players completed similar distances,
though these values were lower than those reported for
another sample of soccer players (17). The dearth of information describing the test performance of rugby league
players makes a more telling comparison difficult. A lack
of any significant difference in performance by squad is
also consistent with other studies (6, 13, 27). Positional
differences were not addressed in this study, as several
studies have identified limited variation by position (6,
13, 22, 27).
Heart rate and blood lactate values denote that performance was near maximal. EHRs were within 23% of
age-predicted values at the cessation of the test. These
results emphasized the very high-intensity nature of the
end phase of the test and were higher than the average
heart rates measured during actual game play (8). It is
not surprising that the EHRs during the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test were higher. Game play has a spontaneous pattern, representing low to vigorous intensities
of physical activity. Activities above the 85% of heart rate
maximum threshold have been shown to account for 44%
of total playing time during a game (8). This would indicate that players do spend a large amount of playing time
working vigorously, though mainly through an accumulation of higher-intensity bursts of effort. Such an intermittent pattern is potentially similar to that in the Yo-Yo
Intermittent Recovery Test, though in actual game play
the average distance for each sprint is often less than 10
m (22). Therefore, although the test does replicate the
intermittent nature of performance, the distance covered
in each sprint may not be an accurate reproduction of
game dynamics. End blood lactate values were also comparable with those reported by other investigators (17).
These values signify a high level of glycolysis at the cessation of the test, similar to levels measured during intermittent game play (4, 8, 10).
Physiological indices of performance would suggest
that the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is a near-maximal assessment of performance for elite rugby league
players. The ability to recover after vigorous intermittent
efforts is an important component of rugby league fitness,
yet there remains contention as to the role of this variable
in determining playing competence or ability (1315, 24).

As previous studies have often utilized incremental, continuous exercise tests (7, 13, 23), such assumptions may
be unspecific to actual game dynamics. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test can be considered a more suitable
method of assessing performance for rugby league players. This is because of its intermittency, particularly in
relation to recoveries from high-intensity efforts (9).
Despite this evident suitability, replication of actual
game dynamics as part of a field-testing strategy remains
difficult. Games such as rugby league are unpredictable.
A continuous test modality, such as the 20-m shuttle run,
does not provide a suitable replication of game dynamics.
Notwithstanding the intermittency of the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, this mode of testing cannot be said
to fully replicate actual rugby league game play. Indeed,
although many elements of rugby league play are predictable, such as the play of the ball scenario, the spontaneity of the game ensures that a specific test would be
difficult to establish.
In summary, the present study supported previous literature in recommending the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test as a suitable measure of near-maximal performance in elite game players. Successful rugby league play
is dependent on the transfer between aerobic (recovery)
and anaerobic (performance) energy systems. The Yo-Yo
Intermittent Recovery Test is an effective representation
of the intermittent demands of rugby league play in a
field-test situation. However, a complete simulation of actual rugby league play may be difficult to create because
of the obvious spontaneity of many of the game-play situations.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Measuring performance in a field setting is problematic.
This is particularly evident when assessing performance
related to team games such as soccer, rugby, and football.
The intermittent nature of these games cannot be replicated by using continuous tests such as the 20-m shuttle
run and Cooper 12-minute run. A Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test will provide a more reflective measurement
of such games. When choosing to use this test, the coach
or practitioner is challenged to select the most appropriate form of the test. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance
Test allows a 5-second rest interval between shuttles and
would replicate the latter stages of games play. For the
sport of rugby league, a more dynamic test of a players
ability to recover from intense exercise is recommended.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, as used in our
study, examines a players ability to recover from intense
exercise. Given that rugby league is characterized by such
efforts, this test would be recommended for rugby league
players. The test is also available at 2 levels. Level 1 is
recommended for early season or conditioning phases,
whereas level 2 is advocated for in season profiling, when
an appropriate central overload has occurred. Additionally, if the coach seeks to assess maximal performance,
the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test will provide a measure of near-maximal performance, often used as an index
of physical capability.

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Address correspondence to Stephen J. Atkins, SAtkins@

uclan.ac.uk.